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Many U.S. cities are adopting form-based codes (FBCs) instead of conventional zoning codes (CZCs) to encourage sustainability and predictability of built-form outcomes in transit-oriented developments (TODs). This research used a multiple-case study method to examine the extent to which FBCs adopted for TODs differ from CZCs in facilitating sustainable design and in delineating the envisioned built-form. The results reveal that, although there is variation, FBCs adopted for TODs facilitate sustainable design to a greater extent and more effectively delineate the envisioned built-form than do CZCs. The study concludes with recommendations for emphasizing sustainability and predictability of built-form in TOD regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the value of postmodernism and postmodern scholarship for the theory and practice of urban planning and design. The research is based on a critical review of postmodernist writings and specific literature associated with what scholars have identified as "postmodern urbanism." The paper begins with a brief description of postmodernism as a way of thinking and decision making in the fields of urban planning and design. The principal ideological and epistemological underpinnings of the postmodernist critique of modern practices of planning and design are then summarized. Critical analyses of the writings of some prominent postmodernist commentators are presented in the third section. The author evaluates whether there is consistency and coherence or inconsistency and confusion in their postmodernist views of urban planning and design. The implications of postmodern urbanism for the fields of urban planning and design are presented in the fourth section. Overall, the study shows that even though postmodern urbanism may be relevant to urban planning and design as a theoretical construct, postmodernism as a way of decision making has limited implications for the practice-oriented fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New Urbanism has gained considerable popularity. This paper evaluates the significance of designing and developing New Urbanist projects, within the contemporary circumstances of urban and suburban development in the United States, using survey research method. It investigates why designers and developers promote New Urbanist projects despite not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) opposition to higher-density developments and despite continued strong preference for single-family homes in standard sub-divisions. Are there any perceived benefits of undertaking such projects? Where do designers, developers and planners concur (or differ) in their assessment of the advantages associated with such projects? The study reveals a considerable agreement among respondents that these projects offer better design, better compatibility with growth management regulations, minimize deterioration of environmental quality, and minimize NIMBY opposition; however, they are restricted by existing land-use regulations, and resistance among the established development community. Implications for the diffusion of New Urbanism are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]