Downtown Arlington’s future skyline got a little clearer this week, as city leaders dug into a draft form-based code that could redraw streets, tighten building frontages and allow a taller core in the heart of downtown.
Consultants walked the City Council through a plan that carves the pilot area into a set of distinct neighborhoods, ranging from a low-rise traditional district to a denser downtown core. The idea is to pair clear design rules with a street network that encourages walkable blocks and faster, more predictable redevelopment.
City staff and outside planners have been working on the code as part of a broader effort to better connect downtown with the Entertainment District and the University of Texas at Arlington. That work included a multi-day design charrette to collect feedback on building types, frontage character and where taller projects should go. Those workshops helped shape the emerging preferences for what belongs where, according to KERA.
What consultants recommended
At the council session, Jayashree Narayana of Livable Plans & Codes laid out a draft that would split the form-based code area into five subdistricts: a traditional neighborhood, an urban neighborhood, corridor mixed-use, a downtown core and a special gateway district. Each comes with its own proposed height range, as reported by Fort Worth Report…