Zoning Missing Middle Housing Urban Design Walkability Process Form-Based Codes

Form-Based Code Cartoon Series

Designer Beth Cichon, with the help of Associate Erick Bernabe and Sr Associate Tony Perez, has been illustrating a cartoon series about Form-Based Codes. The cartoons take a fun approach to educating readers on how FBCs can help improve your city or neighborhood.

Do we ever focus on the wrong thing?

We might see success in limiting a building’s height, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it fits into the neighborhood. As you can see, this long building happens to be the same height as the neighboring houses, but it does not fit into the context.

Density Bonus is one of the State’s tools for meeting housing needs.

Over the years, as the needs have increased, so has the tool. But the tool doesn’t consider where the density is being added and often results in an oversized building. Don’t lose hope, as there are ways to add housing, sensitively. (hint: Form matters!) Even a bird can see that it’s about more than numbers.

When you see an ant hill, how many ants do you imagine live inside?

It’s hard to tell the unit count of a building from the outside – especially if it’s house scale. Thus, even Fourplexes can look like a single family house at first glance.