WCEL > Issues > Urban Growth and Development > Smart Bylaws Guide > Part 3 > Design Guidelines

Smart Bylaws Guide – Design Guidelines

Many communities use design guidelines to direct the form and character of development in:

• infill, multi-family, commercial and industrial developments;
• specific locations such as a main street corridor, downtown;
• comprehensive development; and
• to address community development issues such as crime prevention.  

They can ensure that new neighbourhoods adhere to well-accepted design principles, and that infill development respects the character of existing neighbourhoods.  Detailed design guidelines can spell out the difference between good and bad densification, and provide assurances to residents and business owners that new development will improve their neighbourhood.

Design guidelines can be formally adopted as part of development permit areas and rezonings, or they can provide guidance to staff and council regarding implementation of official community plan goals.

Design guidelines should cover (from Steve Tracy and Local Government Commission, Smart Growth Zoning Codes: A Resource Guide, pp.63-64):

• Natural features
• Individual districts, neighbourhoods, or sub-areas
• Building design standards
• Streetscape features in the public realm
• Public realm and private realm spaces (e.g., porch, patio and façade feature at the front of the private realm)
• Security
• Signage (directional and advertisement)

Residential

For residential design, the Local Government Act permits the designation of development permit areas for setting objectives for the form and character of intensive residential development and for multi-family residential development.  Small lots, granny flats, secondary suites, townhouses, and infill can all be considered “intensive residential development.”  The development permit area must be designated in the official community plan and must describe the special conditions or objectives that justify the designation.  The OCP or zoning by-law must also specify guidelines as to how the objectives will be addressed.  Municipalities may also adopt design guidelines as part of rezoning for a comprehensive development.  See, for example:

Design Guidelines for Infill Development (Central Saanich)

Lonsdale Area Garden Apartment Guidelines - Case study (City of North Vancouver)

Low Density Attached Form Housing Guidelines - Case study (City of North Vancouver)

Small Lot House Rezoning Policy and Design Guidelines (Victoria)

Fremont, CA, Design Guidelines for Small-Lot Single-Family Residential Development

Affordable Housing Design Advisor (US Department of Housing and Urban Development) 

Unified Development Ordinance (Apex, North Carolina – see, for example, p.315 onwards) 

Design Characteristics of Maryland’s Traditional Settlements

Commercial

The Local Government Act also permits the designation of development permit areas for setting objectives for the form and character of commercial development or for revitalizing a commercial area.  Many local governments have created design guidelines to direct the character of downtown revitalization or new development in the commercial core to ensure consistency in design and quality.  See, for example:

Whistler Village Design Guidelines

District of Langford Downtown Revitalization: Downtown Design Guidelines

Design Characteristics of Maryland’s Traditional Settlements

Crime Prevention

Community design has a large influence on crime rates.  Single-use neighbourhoods with large garages fronting the street do not encourage neighbourly interaction and can effectively hide criminal activity.  Good design can reduce crime by providing eyes on the street as well as encouraging a vibrant neighbourhood in which many different activities occur at different times.  See, for example:

Crime Prevention Guidelines (City of North Vancouver)

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (Victoria)

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) Guidelines (Tempe, Arizona ordinances)

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Guidebook (Singapore National Crime Prevention Council, 2003)

For More Information

Main Street…when a highway runs through it: A Handbook for Oregon Communities (Oregon Department of Transportation and Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development, 1999)