Map caption: The Downtown Arlington pilot project area encompasses 769 acres with approximately 1,022 parcels of land. The area is roughly bordered by Sanford Street to the North, Collins Street to the east, Border Street the south and Davis Drive to the west.

The Arlington City Council has selected the Downtown area as the pilot area for Form-Based Code. This form of zoning would be used to encourage pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use development, and reinvestment.

Now that the pilot area has been selected, Planning and Development Services staff and the City’s consultant, Livable Plans & Codes, LLC, will work with Downtown stakeholders and the community to generate a vision and framework for what will become Arlington’s first Form-Based Code. This process will include several opportunities for public input between January and April with adoption anticipated in fall of 2025. Once adopted, the Form-Based Code will replace other forms of zoning with the finalized new zoning boundary.

Be sure to visit Arlington Listens, www.arlingtonlistens.com, and click on the Form-Based Code Development link to provide feedback and stay up-to-date on input opportunities and more details about this project.

What is Form-Based Code?

Form-Based Code (FBC) is a method of regulating development that prioritizes the design and form of buildings in relation to public spaces such as streets, sidewalks, plazas, parks, and trails. FBC would emphasize how a new proposed building might complement and reinforce other nearby public and private properties to create a cohesive, attractive environment for visitors and business owners. Some examples include orienting parking lots behind a building, allowing a building to be placed closer to the road with features such as canopies and patio seating, increased landscaping, green spaces that connect to city trails, and other amenities designed make the property more inviting and safer to visitors.

Why is Arlington adopting Form-Based Code?

The City’s goals for adopting Form-Based Code include removing barriers to redevelopment, better aligning the City’s investment in infrastructure with private development and establishing an adaptable framework that can be tailored to the needs of different locations.

Form-Based Code would allow the City to simplify and streamline the development approval process in the pilot area, reduce the need for rezoning, and increase developers’ flexibility to address diverse market conditions.

In November 2024, Arlington hosted a public education forum that highlighted two Texas communities where Form-Based Code is already shaping redevelopment: Magnolia Avenue development in Fort Worth’s Near Southside district area and the City Hall area in Downtown Roanoke.

Why was Downtown Arlington selected?

The Downtown Arlington pilot project area encompasses 769 acres with approximately 1,022 parcels of land. The area is roughly bordered by Sanford Street to the North, Collins Street to the east, Border Street the south and Davis Drive to the west.

 Downtown area was identified as an ideal pilot project location for several reasons, including that existing street improvements along Abram Street and Front Street have already started redevelopment momentum and that the area creates a critical connection between the Entertainment District and The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). Proximity to existing residential development and the UTA campus has the potential to enhance walkability on Center Street, UTA Boulevard, and Abram Street.

 Downtown also has a variety of lot sizes that can support a range of redevelopment opportunities, including residential infill, as well as under-developed parcels where the land value is significantly higher than the structure that currently sits on it.