Cincinnati Form-Based Code

For many years Jeff Raser has given lectures throughout the Cincinnati region on the urban design of vibrant neighborhoods and form-based codes.  When the City of Cincinnati decided to assemble a team to create its form based code, Jeff was tapped to help coordinate the effort. 

The City’s desire – and the desire of many communities – is to maintain and create pedestrian friendly, mixed-use neighborhoods. However, even in cities with existing traditional walkable neighborhood patterns, regulations can require new development to have a suburban scale and character.   

Cincinnati’s regulations required wide streets, overly abundant room for utility easements, inappropriately large zoning setbacks, and little accommodation for pedestrians and bicyclists. Most city staffers realized these conventional development regulations inhibit the creation of the types of urbanity that residents and business seek.  Nevertheless, Cincinnati’s regulations forced a burdensome approval process of those projects which should be easily permitted.

Jeff coordinated a team of seven national and local firms, including the nationally recognized firm Opticos Design, to create the code. He managed two separate, 5-day long charrettes (which were attended by over 700 people) led multiple stakeholder input sessions, staffed a standing committee, and provided urban design services before, during, and after each charrette.   

The consultant team (which also included Urban Fast Forward – a neighborhood-focused economic development consultant) created a custom form-based code which was adopted in 2013 thereby making Cincinnati one of the largest U.S. cities to have a form-based code.  Cincinnati’s form-based code won the 2014 Grand Prize – Professional; Best Planning Tool or Process from the Congress for a New Urbanism – the highest award given nationally for such service.