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NARRATOR Creating a desirable place to live, work and play is every community's dream. The Capitol
Region Council of Governments is spearheading an innovative project that will equip towns with the
tools to create vibrant sustainable communities.
EMILY MOOS Well this is really an exciting project because CRCOG developed, a few years ago, a set
of guidelines for sustainable development. And now we have the opportunity to help communities
actually make those visions a reality. In order to create more sustainable communities, you have
to have the correct zoning regulations in place. The model regulations created by this project will
address four different topic areas -- housing diversity and affordability; energy efficiency and
alternative energy; food security and local food systems; and compact and mixed-use development,
which can also support transit oriented development.
NARRATOR Some towns have led the way by independently using sustainable land use regulations and
policies, particularly those addressing compact, mixed-use development.
Avon is in the planning stage of this type of project in the historic and geographic center of
their town.
STEVEN KUSHNER In order to try and recreate a sort of classic traditional New England center, you
really do need a different kind of zoning tool, a different type of zoning code, in order for that
to occur. Unlike conventional zoning which segregates uses by zone, this zone actually specifically
encourages a mix of uses, including retail, office and residential uses. I think that the model
codes that CRCOG is working on can prove to be very helpful to a community that may be interested
in doing something similar.
NARRATOR Mansfield for years had the idea for of creating a downtown center within the Storrs
section while preserving the rural character of the overall town.
MATTHEW HART We're, I think, a great community to live in, to raise a family, with the advantages
of having a university located right in our center here. But for whatever reason, no downtown ever
emerged in Mansfield. I really think that is essentially what we are trying to create here, that
civic center with a lot of life and vibrancy.
MACON TOLEDANO If you went by the zoning that we have today, we couldn't have any of those
wonderful, wonderful Main Streets that are quite dense and intense and that are great places for
people to gather. Trying to recreate the zoning for that allows for that is such a huge task.
MATTHEW HART When building something that's mixed-use around principles of intelligent land
use/sustainability, it takes more time to do it right.
ELIZABETH PATERSON Rather than having little strip malls show up here and there all through the
town, we now have a town center by concentrating growth upwards rather than outward.
MACON TOLEDANO It's about being friendly to people who walk and ride and drive cars together; all
those things happening in the same place.
CHRIS MCCAHILL So when you design places in such a way that biking and walking are really viable
alternatives, you don't necessarily have as much need to accommodate as much traffic and you don't
need as much parking. I think a lot of young people are looking for places that are more walkable
and bikable and have activity mixed in to where they live. And in a lot of Connecticut towns, that
style development is still prohibited by zoning codes.
MACON TOLDELO You could achieve the same thing by implementing a smart code approach, or some
other model codes, model form based codes. That could be very helpful.
NARRATOR The Sustainable Regulations Project will help communities with its model regulatory
language. This will not only bring more mixed-use developments to life, and will also encourage
diverse, affordable housing, greater food security and energy efficient development.
LYLE WRAY What makes these kind of things useful is that we're giving people a template of these
kind of regulations that they can use in their communities. That makes it a lot easier. And then
you can incorporate it and adapt it to your local community circumstances. We want to get out there
and help communities to engage and implement this over time.