Achieving Zoning Reform in Small Cities & Rural Places LESSONS FROM PIQUA

The City of Piqua did something remarkable in April: We moved on from Euclidean zoning. We replaced our former zoning code in favor of a form-based code packed with all the zoning reform ideas urbanists are cheering for right now. And yes, it feels good!

As another city in the Midwest that has experienced the pains of nogrowth, we as a City organization are really here to support the final result. We do not have the same luxury rapidly-growing cities have to be able to take projects through a months-long procedural tunnel to get the permissions they need to go ahead. We needed our code to give a strong sense of direction early on to all parties as to what is encouraged where so we can continue to foster our development-friendly reputation. The community also had goals to protect the great urban fabric we already had, and foster walkability and downtown revitalization. We hired Code Studio from Austin, urban designers with a long track record to help us get the job done, and I can’t recommend them enough. Having a bold and visionary team and the ability to just start fresh with the code writing was very freeing. What is also remarkable is that no one opposed this reform. The hordes of vocal NIMBY’s or whatever fearful storm of opposition you might expect to turn out simply did not exist. Was this an anomaly? Really, who can tell if this result could be replicated, but as the city’s planner managing the project, I think these are the reasons we found such easy success:

• The city (pop. ~20k) is not growing rapidly, and every code change will take a little longer to become visible in the real world, keeping the atmosphere of the reform feeling low-stakes relative to a larger jurisdiction.

• The project took four years, giving the team (and me in particular) a lot of time for one-on-one conversations and adjustments for topics that may have not at first appeared to be problems.

• Piqua’s property maintenance program is getting stronger, and so it was possible to have better conversations about legalizing more forms of housing while emphasizing that high quality housing is better achieved through property maintenance and economic revitalization, not exclusionary zoning

• The reform was wholesale, and when you have the entire land use section of the code to replace, every individual change is less controversial.

So to all of you urbanist developers, if zoning is getting you down wherever you are, come check Piqua out. Move here like I did, we’re a great place to be already and getting better all the time. In our code you will see:

• By-right mixed density zoning in the traditional core of the city (duplexes, fourplexes, townhomes, ADUs)

• In suburban districts, ADUs that are attached are also allowed

• No parking minimums*, just parking management plans (*min. bike parking required

• Higher parking lot standards for reduced heat-island effect and better pedestrian comfort, shared parking required in some cases

• No minimum lot areas in the traditional core of the city

• Legalized corner stores and small scale manufacturing like the good ol’ days

• Administrative approval of common projects within the historic district, more challenging process for demolitions

• Drive thru’s and suburban strip mall forms only allowed outside the traditional core

• Easier transition of buildings in need of repurposing

• Administrative adjustments to help smooth along dimensional challenges, so we can focus on the goal rather than a long drawn-out process for development approvals

• Tree replacement and riparian buffer requirements

• Clear standards for manufacturing development, less restrictive height, so we can keep attracting new job-producing growth back to the city

Every zoning reform success story makes every other proposed change elsewhere seem that much more conventional and attainable. We are rooting for the success of all of Ohio’s cities the way we are rooting for our own. I hope other planners out there can open up our code and show their people – ‘see they did it, and all hell did not break loose.’ Keep fighting the good fight on leading positive change, and please check out Piqua’s Development Code in full at piquaoh.gov/550/CodePiqua.