Arlington Seeks To Reimagine Downtown Through Form-Based Zoning

Arlington is testing a new zoning program that could change how private development is constructed in the city’s downtown.

The form-based zoning code being piloted in the area is designed to create walkable neighborhoods by regulating how buildings, streets and public spaces work together. Instead of traditional zoning regulations, the form-based approach will create options for what kind of project can be built on each piece of land.

“The important thing of the form-based code is going to be this critical element of not just writing standards for what happens on private property, but it’s also how the development relates to the street in front of it,” Livable Plans and Codes principal Jay Narayana said during the Jan. 6 Arlington City Council work session. 

As part of the pilot program, Downtown Arlington will be divided into five subdistricts: traditional neighborhood, urban neighborhood, corridor mixed-use, downtown core and a downtown gateway special district.

The traditional neighborhood will allow single-family residential, townhomes and duplexes up to two and a half stories in height. The urban neighborhood will allow a combination of residential and commercial buildings ranging from three to five stories to be built. Those types include apartment buildings, townhomes, offices and corner retail.

The corridor mixed-use area will allow apartment buildings, offices, corner retail and the adaptive reuse of existing auto-service buildings ranging in height from one to six stories. 

However, the area’s tallest buildings will be reserved for the downtown core and downtown gateway subdistricts. 

The downtown core area will allow mid-rise buildings that top out at 12 stories for uses such as hotels, offices, residential, civic and entertainment. And the downtown gateway will feature mid- and high-rise buildings up to 18 stories for uses like hotels, offices, residential, and sports and entertainment attractions.

The form-based zoning also includes three different street-frontage types that would regulate sidewalk widths, building setbacks and the distance between structures. 

As part of the form-based zoning plan presented to the council, Narayana said Livable Plans and Codes recommended that all commercial buildings be subject to the same parking requirements so repurposed buildings aren't restricted from certain uses.

“We recognize that as users change based on a market, you want to make it easier for property owners to be able to allow new users to come in,” Narayana said.

Arlington's planning and zoning committee is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the form-based zoning plan in March, and the council will discuss it again that same month. Final adjustments and a vote to implement the program in downtown are scheduled to follow in April. 

The city of Dallas passed a long-range land-use plan in 2024 and then eased parking requirements last year in an effort to allow more density.