Livable Lesson: Incremental Code Reform

Why are so few cities, towns and neighborhoods in the United States walkable? Why is it so difficult to find vibrant communities where people of all ages, abilities, incomes and backgrounds can live, work, shop and play?

The answer, in many locations, is that zoning codes and land use ordinances have made the creation of such places illegal.

Zoning codes and land use regulations in many areas mandate that communities are built with car-centric, suburb-style development patterns that prioritize automobile travel and separate residential areas from commercial areas. When public officials, developers, and neighborhood residents begin advocating for community spaces that are more walkable and provide varied housing options, they quickly learn that change can’t be achieved without first revising the local zoning codes and ordinances.

To help communities address the need for zoning and code reform, AARP Livable Communities and the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) produced Enabling Better Places: A Handbook for Improved Neighborhoods, a free publication about how to identify and implement the small-scale, incremental changes to local rules that can achieve desired goals without having to overhaul entire zoning codes and land use policies.

In this video series, Lynn Richards, the former president and CEO of the Congress for the New Urbanism, guides viewers through that document by explaining the history of the nation’s development patterns and how to make the types of small changes that will make a positive difference by identifying the right reforms, building public support, and using incremental code reform to benefit residents and the local economy. 

Watch the subject-specific videos below — or scroll down to see all six segments compiled into one.

Related Links

• Build Support for Code Reform
• Article: Lessons from Livability Leaders
  
• The Pop-Up Placemaking Tool Kit
• Placemaking
• Economic Development
• Equity

Twitter

• Lynn Richards @lrichardsCNU 
• The Congress for the New Urbanism @cnupublicsquare | @NewUrbanism

Learn More

• More Livable Lesson Videos

_{The videos on this page were created by an external organization so might not reflect AARP’s public policies or advocacy positions, which can be found in the AARP Policy Book.}  

_{The videos were filmed in January 2021 | Page published June 2021}