The City of Tulsa is overhauling its zoning code for the first time since 1970.

In 2010, Tulsa implemented PlaniTulsa, a comprehensive plan for the entire city. Thousands of Tulsans contributed to the vision for PlaniTulsa and overwhelmingly called for a return to a more traditional way of building our city.

We believe the zoning code should reflect the goals of PlaniTulsa.

I want zoning for Tulsa that…

Makes it easier to walk, bike and use transit
• Bring buildings closer to the street and put parking in the back
• Get rid of parking minimums
• Require landscaping and trees along sidewalks to make walking attractive and comfortable
• Encourage developers to provide bus shelters along transit routes

Protects the unique character of Tulsa's neighborhoods, including downtown
• Make it easy for people to protect and enhance their neighborhoods with a character overlay
- Overlays should be available throughout Tulsa, including downtown
- One type of overlay should apply to both residential and commercial areas
- Allow more flexibility in how overlays can be used

Makes Tulsa a more beautiful city
• Increase the quantity and quality of landscaping along city streets
• Require more landscaping in and around surface parking lots, including downtown
• Beautify the public street by improving standards for signs:
- No new billboards; get rid of non-conforming billboards
- No new pole signs
- Requires monument signs, and allow small signs that project from buildings
- Requires digital signs to meet appropriate illumination standards (IESNA)

Makes Tulsa a financially strong city
• Encourage smart infill to increase the tax base and benefit schools, libraries and public services
• Eliminate parking minimums to increase the amount of land that generates revenue
• Design for walking, biking and transit:
- Streets don't have to be fixed, widened or replaced as often
- More active people = more healthy people
- Places built for people generate more income per acre than places built for cars

To see the proposed draft of the Zoning Code: http://zoningcode.planittulsa.org/