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How was I supposed to know?
For almost every project that I worked on as a professional architect, and for every jurisdiction that UrbanForm covers, there are what I...


Austin Guide to Zoning
Our fundamental desire is that the rules governing our buildings and cities are more accessible and efficient. Because of that, we go to...


We can build better
Part of what I love about traveling is that it can challenge your assumptions and change what you thought was possible. My favorite city...


User testimonial: Paradigm Development
"We evaluated dozens of providers. For zoning, no one came close to UrbanForm: their ability to assess thousands of parcels, locally, was...


Can you trust UrbanForm?
At UrbanForm, we think trust is *the* most important issue when it comes to data that is relied upon for business. Here's how we at...


Can you trust AI?
Here's a story about AI and trust. When we first started UrbanForm, we talked a lot about how we use AI (artificial intelligence). The...


Bisnow Events in Seattle and Austin
It's been a busy couple of weeks for UrbanForm, with founder and CEO Quang Truong traveling to Austin, Texas, and Seattle, Washington to...


Announcing UrbanForm Austin
UrbanForm is extremely pleased to announce the availability of UrbanForm Austin. Austin, Texas joins Portland (OR), Seattle (WA), and San...


How many units can be built?
People often want to know how many dwelling units can be built on a piece of land. This is an important element of building regulations,...


What are setbacks?
Setbacks are the minimum distance required between a specified object and another point, usually lot lines. They're typically specified...


What is a zoning overlay?
Zoning overlays modify or override the base zoning regulations. They are sometimes part of the zoning code, and sometimes separate, but...


Featured Customer: Coby Lefkowitz and Backyard Development
Many of you already know Coby Lefkowitz: I don't know of any other architecture and urban / housing / planning writers with more...


Wow is often the response we get
On the top left corner of the UrbanForm web app is a rather innocuous button, called "MaxBuild 3d Envelopes". But if you click on it,...


One of the most advanced things UrbanForm does
Is give you the MaxBuild for any site. This is NOT just the base zone FAR multiplied by the lot area. This is because we've found that...


When converting office to residential,
Zoning is not usually a constraint. But math and geometry are. The above is a screenshot of UrbanForm's Filter function, filtering for...


By any standard, Portland is not looking good.
Compared to its peer cities or its own past performance, Portland is building significantly less housing. Based on our recent analysis,...


"We're getting worse at construction"
From Ezra Klein's recent piece in the NYTimes: "Here's something odd: we're getting worse at construction." This rings true to me. Spend...


Contours? Topography? Check!
We often say that zoning is the single biggest non-natural factor in assessing development and land value. Natural factors, like...


Out now: Guide to Seattle Zoning
Two of our goals for this New Year included creating more in-depth pieces about zoning and being more transparent about UrbanForm's...


Zoning has been abolished?
An advisor once asked me, if zoning was abolished, would UrbanForm cease to exist? The answer was: Yes. Absolutely yes it would. Much...
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