Q1. If we have more people, doesn't that equate to more car trips and more congestion?
A1. The FBC neighborhood design as a whole makes road connections better, both within the neighborhood and through bordering areas. Moderate and higher density mixed use projects on a network of connected streets disperses traffic rather than concentrating it. The result is reduced congestion because there are many routes to choose for each trip, making walking and bicycling safe and realistic.
Q2. I have an issue with "cut-through" traffic, where people who don't live in my neighborhood may use my more convenient neighborhood streets as short cuts. How can form based code prevent this?
A2. The community charrette process is integral here, as FBC allow the community to design street layouts to remove "straight shot" streets that dissect the neighborhood in one easy passage. Staggering intersections and traffic-calming devices such as stop signs, round abouts and speed tables can also do this effectively.
Q3. I have concerns about the density proposed in form-based codes. Won't a mix of smaller, cheaper homes nearby reduce my property value? And don't these types of homes increase crime.
A3. We already have successful neighborhoods in Cincinnati, like Hyde Park, for instance, where apartments and town homes are often situated close to large single family homes with no loss of property value, and in many cases, an increase.
Q4. I'm worried about our schools. Won't the increased density proposed create overcrowding in our schools.
A4. Making neighborhoods more walkable and more efficient reduces travel time to school and makes it safer for children to walk to school and through their neighborhoods. If the same land was developed at lower density, new students would have to ride the bus or be driven to school. In addition, school officials and developers have, in many FBC communities, donated land for additional school sites if there was enough density to generate enrollment, because a new school enriches the social fabric of their development.
Q5. If we allow local stores or small offices in certain locations, won't this increase traffic, parking needs, noise and property values?
A5. Through the community charrette process, residents are able to identify appropriate locations for these uses, generally on busier corners and streets, and next to denser, small-lot single family or well-designed muli-family dwellings that are more compatible with retail or office uses. By having good design standards, residents can ensure that structures will blend with the existing residential architectural style. Good provisions for screening off-street car parking with landscaping are also important.
"The standards and guidelines encourage a variety of public spaces on the Near Southside, ranging from the type of active urban plaza shown above to more passive and heavily landscaped neighborhood parks." Near Southside, Development Standards and Guidelines, City of Fort Worth, Texas. Photo: John Hancock Plaza, Chicago. Source: Project for Public Spaces