Cleveland Headed This Fall Toward Once-in-a-Century Shift from Traditional Zoning to New ‘Form-Based’ Code

Cleveland is cruising smoothly toward a once-in-a-century change in the city’s zoning code designed to make neighborhoods more urban, walkable and sustainable. The new zoning language, which could be adopted as soon as this fall, would represent a shift from the city’s existing code, adopted in 1929 and amended numerous times since then.

The commission would have to vote to adopt the zoning, as would City Council. The proposed changes are in the final stages of public and professional feedback this summer. The new style of zoning, called “form-based,’’ emphasizes the look and feel of new construction, in contrast to traditional zoning, which emphasizes the separation of land uses to prevent clashes between, say, housing, and industry.

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