FRI-A06: How the Fluffernutter Gets Made: Form Based Zoning in Somerville, MA

Friday, November 11, 2022

9:00am – 10:30am PT

Location: Moscone Center, Room 201-202

1.50 PDH, LA CES/HSW, AIA/HSW, AICP, FL, NY/HSW

Lead Speaker(s)

Cortney Kirk, ASLA

Senior Planner
City of Somerville
Somerville, Massachusetts

Speaker(s)

Dan Bartman

Deputy Director
City of Somerville
Somerville, Massachusetts
Bryan Chou, ASLA

Associate Principal
Mikyoung Kim Design
Boston, Massachusetts

Wonder how zoning codes could embrace neighborhood diversity and encourage a high-quality public realm instead of minimum parking requirements? Curious how landscape architects can take on larger urban development roles? Learn from Somerville where the development, administration, and outcomes of form-based code leveraged to produce new public spaces will be discussed.

Learning Outcomes:

Understand the importance of community process during the development of and writing a new zoning ordinance in order to prioritize the public realm and put neighborhoods first.
Understand the definition, practice, and administering a form based zoning from the perspective of City staff, review commissions, and landscape architects designing zoning compliant civic spaces.
Learn how a civic space study and a green score can contribute to place based design solutions as well as filling environmental and open space gaps in environmental justice neighborhoods.
Recognize the elevated role of landscape architects in Somerville’s private development planning, urban design, and infrastructure projects.