Form Based Codes 101--Part 1: What Are They and How Do They Work?

The City of San Rafael will soon be considering new zoning for the Downtown area that uses “Form Based Codes” (FBCs).  FBCs are different than traditional zoning regulations. While traditional zoning focuses on the specific uses that are allowed on each property, FBCs focus on the design and scale of the building and its relationship to the street. The City has prepared this six-part tutorial on how this will work in practice.