The Most Resilient Zoning in America
The city of Norfolk, Virginia began an effort to comprehensively rewrite its Zoning Ordinance in 2014. Vlad Gavrilovic, while at Renaissance Planning was part of a multidisciplinary group of consultants that was engaged to rewrite, update and modernize the ordinance that was last comprehensively re-written in 1992 and bring it in line with a recent comprehensive plan update. He continued that work while at EPR, leading to the successful adoption of the new ordinance by the City Council in January of 2018.
The former Zoning Ordinance was one of unusual complexity containing outdated requirements, and in some instances language that is difficult to understand for many code users and citizens. Additionally, there has been a change in conditions, demographics, and preferences in the City over the last two decades, resulting in a gap between the community’s desired development outcomes and the development outcomes allowed by the current ordinance. Key policy directions that were incorporated into the rewrite included making Norfolk a more environmentally sustainable, pedestrian-friendly city that respects its historic character while encouraging 21st century industries. In addition, Norfolk is the second most vulnerable city in America for sea level rise and a key aspect of both the City’s policy direction and the new Ordinance was to make Norfolk a more resilient city, physically and economically.
Vlad led the physical form, community design and landscape aspects of the zoning ordinance rewrite, as well as graphic visualization and support of the community engagement strategy. In addition, he led the development of the new Resilience Quotient, working with city staff to develop new resilience standards under a point system for compliance that applied to all development in the city. The three-year process to restructure and modernize the zoning ordinance is a key aspect of both economic and community development for the city in the coming decades.
The ordinance was recognized by the American Planning Association in 2017 with a special Award for Excellence in Sustainability and was recognized in the award as the most resilient zoning in the country.
