Tulsa's Pearl District Now Pilot Area For 'Foot Traffic Friendly' Code

NewsOn6.com

TULSA, Oklahoma -- The Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission approved a "form based" code for the Pearl District Wednesday. The section of far eastern downtown Tulsa will be used as a pilot area for a code that allows the look and shape of a building to play a role in its approved uses.

Currently, Tulsa city codes have rigid requirements on parking spaces and building setbacks that encourage development around parking lots and street access. Form based codes encourage pedestrian access and buildings closer to streets which is more typical of urban neighborhoods. It allows greater density of buildings and more mixed use developments that combine business and residential uses.

1/16/2009 Related Story: Tulsa's Pearl District Moves Closer To Revitalization

The Pearl District pilot area will be more "foot traffic friendly," and allow for construction and redevelopment such as on Brookside, where the storefronts face the street and the parking lots are behind businesses.

The Pearl District is about one-half square mile located between U.S. Highway 75 and Utica, Interstate 244 and 11th Street (Historic Route 66).