An Alternative Approach to "Ramen" Development

As planners have looked for ways to unravel and repair the damage done by the Suburban Experiment, one tool that has emerged is the form-based code. Standard, use-based codes organize cities by what can happen on a piece of land. Form-based codes organize cities by physical form. A form-based code puts the emphasis on making sure the buildings in a neighborhood are compatible with their surroundings, while letting the mix of actual activities in them be more eclectic. In contrast, conventional, or Euclidean, zoning code works like the game SimCity—the primary thing it regulates is allowable use, as well as the density or level of activity.

Edward Erfurt.

Recently, a longtime friend of Strong Towns, urban designer Edward Erfurt, was the guest on The Leadership Exchange Podcast. Erfurt is the Assistant City Manager for Community Development of Ranson, West Virginia. He’s also a Strong Towns member, a past contributor and podcast guest, and the husband of Strong Towns’ Event Pathfinder Michelle Erfurt. On The Leadership Exchange Podcast, Edward Erfurt talked about form-based code and how it is helping Ranson (pop. 5,200) get stronger. It’s an excellent interview throughout. Here are some of the highlights:

• 7:00 - How Ranson strikes a balance between flexibility and directness in its coding approach, a comparison of form-based and use-based codes, and the importance of vision.

• 9:20 - How the City of Ranson helped facilitate financing for developers—“[The City is] not a bank. But we can make it easier for banks and developers to meet up.”—while showing banks the productive potential for land that had been sitting idle long after the 2008 financial crash.

• 13:40 - The impacts and changes from the pandemic. Erfurt says that while the number of residents hasn’t changed, the feel of the town has, because commuters who used to travel into Washington, D.C. are now working from home. The town, he says, feels full.

• 18:50 - How a community can leverage zoning changes to become more resilient. Mix of uses, mix of housing, reduced parking minimums, etc. are baked right into the zoning code. Erfurt also describes how Ranson is strengthening its downtown core, as well as the neighborhoods around it that mimic the traditional development pattern.

• 24:30 - The key challenges of Ranson’s approach to zoning and growth, and how Ranson is addressing them.

To that last point, Erfurt says there is a lot of education involved, lots of breaking down of stereotypes. There’s also a lot of explaining why the City is saying no to a project. “We don’t have to accept every project,” he says. There’s no instant development…what he calls “ramen development”—just “open the package and add water.” 

It’s a great podcast. After listening to it, consider going deeper with the articles below.

Go Deeper on How Zoning Codes Shape Our Cities

• “Save Your Small Parcels, and Create More of Them,” by Kevin Klinkenberg

• “‘"A High School Education and an Hour of Your Time’" by Daniel Herriges

• “A Town Well-Planned,” by Alexander Dukes (part 1 of a series)

• “Would ending zoning result in a Strong Town?,” by Charles Marohn

• “Kick the Tires on Your Local Zoning Code,” by Sarah Kobos

• “A History of Zoning,” a series by Spencer Gardner (Parts 1, 2, and 3)

Cover image by Matt & Chris Pua on Unsplash.

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