September 2005 Urban Planning Carleton University

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Zoning By-Laws & Land Subdivision

• Official plan of a city provides the basis for:– Planning public facilities and infrastructure– Drafting zoning by-laws– Control of land subdivisions

September 2005 Urban Planning Carleton University

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ZoningZoning

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September 2005 Urban Planning Carleton University

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Zoning Map

September 2005 Urban Planning Carleton University

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Zoning• Planners noted that land uses perform better when they

are assembled in their distinctive areas

• Municipalities sought to regulate the sitting of buildings and the provision of basic services for health and safety reasons.

• First comprehensive zoning by-law was enacted by New York in 1916 (in Canada by Kitchner, Ontario in 1924)

• Aims at controlling land use and population density by specifying controls over building type, form, and mass

September 2005 Urban Planning Carleton University

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Zoning (Continued)

• Can specify measures that reflect the effect of development on demands for public services and infrastructure , such as:

* Floor Area Ratio (FAR): area of all floors divided by gross site area

September 2005 Urban Planning Carleton University

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Floor Area Ratio

September 2005 Urban Planning Carleton University

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Zoning (Continued)

• Intensity of development (number of dwelling units per unit area)

• Can impose requirements for the form of building on site, such as:

- Minimum setbacks

- Maximum heights

September 2005 Urban Planning Carleton University

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Zoning (Continued)

• Further details can also be specified (structure colour, materials permitted, …)

• Zoning requirements must apply equally to all structures within a district

• Thus, there is a limit on the details of zoning requirements

September 2005 Urban Planning Carleton University

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Incentive Zoning

• Zoning may influence land prices (in growing areas of cities)

• In such cases, new zoning requirements will be resisted

• An alternative technique is to offer incentives in the form of added floor area to counterbalance the added costs of meeting higher development standards.

September 2005 Urban Planning Carleton University

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Zoning (Cont.)Consistency Requirements

• Zoning regulations are enforced by the local government

• Higher level of government may mandate the municipalities to follow the same zoning regulations.

September 2005 Urban Planning Carleton University

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Land Subdivision

September 2005 Urban Planning Carleton University

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Land Subdivision: Controlling Development Through

DesignSite controls can be (a) negative and passive (e.g. zoning) and (b) positive (through design)Land SubdivisionDefinition:

The division of a lot, tract or parcel of land into 2 or more lots, sites for the purpose of sale or building development.Subdivision Layout:

According to performance standards (access, space, privacy, maintenance, view)

September 2005 Urban Planning Carleton University

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Subdivision (Continued)Elaboration of Performance Standards

• Normal or emergency access• Visual or acoustic privacy• Emission of light• Noise• Pollution• Views, vistas• Conservation of land

September 2005 Urban Planning Carleton University

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Subdivision (Continued)Elaboration of Performance Standards

• Water• Vegetation• Maintenance and usability of outdoor

spaces• Lighting• Visual communication• Textures

September 2005 Urban Planning Carleton University

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Preparation of aPreparation of aSubdivision PlanSubdivision Plan

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September 2005 Urban Planning Carleton University

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Steps Required in the Preparation of A Subdivision Plan

1. To assess the demand (type of buildings, price ranges, etc.).

2. To examine the physical growth of the municipality.

3. To consider carefully all the possible sites and to select the one that most fully satisfies the requirements:

- accessibility- availability of services- quality and cost of land- legal restrictions (zoning by-laws)

September 2005 Urban Planning Carleton University

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Preparation of A Subdivision Plan – cont’d

4. To obtain a general survey of the site (aerial photographs, etc., maps) showing boundaries, streets, existing services, zoning restrictions, topography).

5. To divide the site into the broad areas of suitability for building purposes.

6. To apportion the site into units for different purposes for which the site is to be developed (types of housing, commercial, etc.)

7. To develop the internal street pattern and name streets; define service requirements and preliminary plan.

September 2005 Urban Planning Carleton University

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Preparation of A Subdivision Plan – cont’d

8. To sketch out the lots.

9. To consult the municipality and have the plan examined (open spaces, services, etc.)

10. To prepare the final plan.

11. To study the siting of every building in the subdivision.

September 2005 Urban Planning Carleton University

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Preparation of A Subdivision Plan – cont’d

12. To consider the alignment of utility lines (Hydro, Bell, Cablevision)

13. To show landscaping

14. To submit the plan for final approval.

September 2005 Urban Planning Carleton University

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Subdivision Plan

September 2005 Urban Planning Carleton University

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Density Control

September 2005 Urban Planning Carleton University

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Density Control -- cont’d