Tulsa Comprehensive Plan - PLANiTULSA

Land Use
parT v: BUiLdinG THe PLan
Building prototypes help illustrate the
affects of specific factors such as zoning
codes, housing and employment densities,
and parking standards on hypothetical
development or redevelopment.
From plan to prototypes to Zoning
One of the key innovations of the PLANiTULSA plan was
the use of building prototypes, or models, to illustrate how
the vision and plan can be translated into an implementable
zoning code. Building prototypes can range from singlefamily
homes and mixed-use buildings to regional retail
malls and offce buildings. They are built using a basic
pro-forma spreadsheet that accounts for housing and
employment densities, floor-area ratios, impervious
surfaces, construction costs, financial feasibility, tax revenue
and other key attributes. For instance, by adjusting various
aspects of a prototypical building, such as the number of
floors, the amount of parking required, or the proportion
of retail space, a user can identify factors that affect its
financial feasibility.
Building height limits, parking ratios, and setback
requirements can significantly impact the market feasibility
of development, but most zoning codes are never tested
for market feasibility. There are several advantages to using
prototypes to pre-test a zoning code. For one, prototypes
can be created quickly and cheaply prior to the creation of
a zoning district. They are also valuable public involvement
tools that planners, developers and community members
can use to model development concepts collaboratively.
Prototypes provide important fiscal impact information,
including estimated real estate value added and sales tax
revenues from new development, to help illustrate the
benefits of development.
LU
42
July 2010
Tulsa comprehensive plan – Land Use