Mayor Brown is pleased to announce that the draft Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) will be released on the Buffalo Green Code website (www.buffalogreencode.com) next week.  

The UDO is the city's first comprehensive zoning rewrite since 1953 and codifies the land use policies of the Comprehensive Plan and Buffalo Green Code planning documents. It is called the UDO because it will combine land use, subdivision, and public realm (e.g.; streets, parks, and sidewalks) standards into a single, user-friendly document.  

The UDO implements the community's vision for the development of the city. Responding to considerable input from residents and business owners, it will be a "form-based code," emphasizing neighborhood character, as its organizing principle. This approach was chosen because of its unique capacity to help realize the community's vision for walkable, transit-supportive neighborhoods.

The UDO will be a more accessible document, with illustrations, tables, and plain English text, making the ordinance easier to understand and apply. It will bring greater clarity and predictability to investors and residents alike.

The UDO will feature standards that:

•  support walkable, mixed-use development
• strengthen the city's economic centers
• protect and enhance Buffalo's historic character
• foster a vibrant waterfront  
• help citizens drive fewer miles, use less energy, and improve environmental quality

In short, the new code will help build a Buffalo that's healthier, wealthier, and more beautiful for present and future generations.

The diagram above illustrates the various components of the Buffalo Green Code and how they relate to each other. Click here for a top-line description of each component.