Design Guidelines

Distinctive communities that have well-designed buildings and storefront façades are better at attracting new businesses and residents and are less likely to suffer from disinvestment and neglect. Communities can enact clear and uniform design guidelines to gain control of their community's appearance.

The purpose of most design guidelines is to ensure that redevelopment or new projects are compatible with existing styles in the surrounding neighborhood. While most design guidelines are developed for historic districts, they can be established for development in other areas as well. Design guidelines can also provide clear guidance to developers about the municipality's preferred designs, so that these preferences can be incorporated in the early stages of developing a project, rather than later in the process when it is more costly.

Design guidelines can address some or all of the following design elements: site layout; building orientation; location of parking; connectivity and transition between land uses; vehicular and pedestrian access and circulation; building facades; building materials and colors; windows and doors; landscaping and screening; lighting; and signage. Communities may create a Community Design Guidebook or Manual that provides illustrated examples for developers.

Several tools in this toolbox are also related to this tool. Please see the following tools: Architectural Design Control, Commercial Strip Design and Redevelopment, Design Standards for Large Retail Establishments, and Street and Sidewalk Design.