Urban Design Districts and Overlays

Any alteration to the exterior of a building in an urban design district require a Certificate of Appropriateness. Such alterations include, but are not limited to:

• Construction of a new structure
• Expansion of an existing structure
• Construction of a surface parking lot
• The installation and alteration of permanent signs, banners, window signs, and temporary signs
• Installation or alteration of awnings or canopies
• Installation or alteration of sidewalk areas, including the installation of trees, planters, and other items affecting the walkway area
• Lighting fixtures 

Certificate of Appropriateness applications must be submitted online via Accela Citizen Access. 

• Floor plans

• Elevations of all building facades with public exposure (color drawings preferred, if feasible)

• Roof plan, with mechanical equipment and any applicable screening elements
• Legible notations regarding exterior dimensions, colors, and materials, on elevations.
• Location and type of outdoor light fixtures
• Color drawings of proposed sign(s), showing dimensions, exact locations, sign types, number, color, material, method of illumination, method of attachment, and support structures
• All measurements and dimensions included including floor height, building height, and fenestration percentages

• Streets and legible street names
• Plan of existing and proposed structures, with structures adjacent to the property also shown
• Location of all easements such as utility and public access easements
• Location of parking areas, driveways, sidewalks, walkways, loading areas, walls or fences, utilities,lighting, signage, at grade mechanical units, dumpsters, and all other site improvements.

• Location and dimension of areas to be landscaped (including private property, adjoining right-of-way, and parking lot islands)
• Location, number, species, color, and size of all trees, shrubs, and groundcover; tree planting specifications; and location and coverage of irrigation system
• Locations and description of light posts and street furniture
• Locations of sidewalk and buffer strip

* For less complex projects, the Site Plan and Landscape Plan may be integrated into one drawing, provided all elements are clearly legible

• Parking count per unit (residential)
• Parking count per square footage of use (if non- residential)

* Location of parking areas and driveways should be included on the site plan

Color drawings of proposed sign(s) showing the following:

• Type (cabinet, illuminated, etc.)
• Materials
• Method of illumination, if any
• Method of attachment
• Placement on facade
• Support structures, if any

• All Dimensions

Step 1: Case placed on Meeting Agenda

To have your case placed on the upcoming month's agenda, you must submit an application online via Accela Citizen Access by 5pm on the application deadline. Your application must be verified as complete in order to be considered for the upcoming month's agenda. If the application is incomplete it will be pushed to next month. Once staff has determined that your application is complete, your case will be placed on the next available UDC agenda if necessary. Staff will schedule a meeting with you to review the design and suggest any necessary modifications. Prior to the meeting staff will send the following:

Step 2: Notification

Courtesy notices are sent to applicants and neighborhood association contacts within 1/2 mile of the case property. Courtesy notices contain the following information:

• Courtesy Notice #1: Sent 10 days before the hearing, or when the caseload is placed on the Upcoming Cases Map. 
• Courtesy Notice #2: Sent 3 days before the hearing, or when the meeting agenda, staff reports, and docket are available on the Upcoming Cases Map.  

Step 3: The Meeting Agenda is posted to the City Calendar

Meeting agendas are available on the Urban Design Commission calendar page and the Upcoming Cases Map.

Step 4: Staff reports and docket posted to the Upcoming Cases Map

The staff reports for each case and the docket are posted to the Upcoming Cases Map three days before the meeting. 

Step 5: Commission Hearing

Urban Design Commission hearings are held on the third Thursday of the month at 10pm in Room 2020. 

To speak you may show up in person or participate remotely via Webex. The Webex registration link can be found on the Upcoming Cases Map, the meeting agenda, and the City Calendar. Attending the meeting via Webex is the only way to watch live. 

The meeting recording can be viewed on Fort Worth TV after the meeting. 

Step 6. Post Commission

Staff will send a decision letter stating the request and UDC decision to the applicants following the meeting. The meeting minutes will be posted sometime in the week following the meeting in the Past Decisions/ Annotated Agendas section. 

The Near Southside Form Based Code District (“NS”)  is a mixed-use development zone that encourages pedestrian-oriented, urban development on the near southside, and to provide development standards and administrative procedures that encourage high-quality, sustainable development and creative design. 

Permitted Land Use

Design District Plans

Fort Worth South Inc. worked with area stakeholders to create a new zoning district. The new zoning district is form based; focusing on the form of future development rather than the tradition focus on land use. Form based codes provide property owners and developers with a wider range of development options while insuring development that engages public areas.

Near Southside, Inc.

Near Southside, Inc. is the neighborhood redevelopment organization for the Near Southside Form Based Code District. This organization promotes the ongoing redevelopment of the Near Southside as a vibrant, urban, mixed-use neighborhood. Developers are encouraged to reach out to Near Southside, Inc. for preliminary review by the Near Southside Design Review Committee. 

History

The Near Southside District offers residents mixed-use urban neighborhoods with traditional streetscapes, single family homes dating to the early 1900s, new and rehabilitated historic apartment buildings, and the beginnings of, what is expected to be a large for-purchase urban townhome and loft style housing options.

It is a part of the city that is enjoying a rapid transformation and revitalization from years of typical urban neglect and decay. It is the second largest employment center in Tarrant County. With 30,000 employees working in a wide range of business, it is second only to the Central Business District which has 40,000 employees. In a survey of employees in 1995, while only 2 percent said that they currently lived in the district, 17 percent said that they would live here if there were appropriate housing options. The marketplace is responding with new options.

The Fairmount Historic District, located in the southern part of the Near Southside District, was first platted in the late 1800s. The neighborhood has a great collection of Craftsmen style bungalows, many of which have been restored to their original beauty. Property values of these single family homes have doubled in the last four years. The nearby Mistletoe Heights, Berkley Place and Ryan Place neighborhoods offer a wide selection of more expensive homes.

The Berry/ University Form-Based Code District fosters mixed- use walkable development patterns intended to meet the needs of the Texas Christian University. This district aims to promote mixed-use development along transit corridors that complements the unique character of the existing neighborhoods.

Permitted Land Use

District Design Guidelines

All properties within the Berry/University District are held to the Berry/ University Form-Based Code. 

Guidelines by character zone:

History

Video

• Berry/University Urban Village Design Charrette
• Walking Tour of Project Area
• Final Presentation of Concepts

Previous Presentations

• Berry/University Development Plan(PDF, 11MB)
• 10-15-14 Berry/University Final Plan(PDF, 11MB)
• Storm Water Management Presentation(PDF, 5MB)
• 10-11-14 Charrette Presentation(PDF, 15MB)
• 9-11-14 Kick-Off Presentation(PDF, 11MB)

Charrettes

Permitted Land Use

District Guidelines

In 2009, Camp Bowie District Inc. hired a consultant to draft a form based code to replace the zoning regulations. The form based code addresses the form and design elements needed to guide future growth along Camp Bowie. The City Council finalized adoption of the new form based zoning regulations in April 2012.

General District Guidelines

• Building Design(PDF, 732KB)
• Streetscape(PDF, 159KB)
• Open Spaces(PDF, 601KB)
• Signage(PDF, 176KB)

Guidelines by Character Zone

Camp Bowie, Inc. 

Camp Bowie District Inc. is a private sector, not-for-profit public improvement district created in October 2000 by the commercial property owners to revitalize Camp Bowie Boulevard.

Their improvement efforts have included infrastructure improvements, the implementation of beautification projects (including tree planting and landscaping), hosting special events (including the Jazz By The Boulevard festival and Camp Bowie Crawl) and serving as an advocate for all development. Property owners pay an additional property tax in order to increase economic vitality and redevelopment along the Boulevard.

In addition, a membership structure was created to allow merchants and businesses to participate and display their commitment to the area.

Located just north of Downtown Fort Worth, Panther Island offers a unique opportunity to create a mixed-use, primarily residential neighborhood in the core of the central city.

Permitted Land Use

 Design District Guidelines

The Panther Island Development Standards and Guidelines promote the type of development and redevelopment envisioned in the 2016 Panther Island Plan. This plan envisions Panther Island as a vibrant urban district that builds on the area’s history and character, complements the Downtown core, and created distinctive neighborhoods within easy walking distance of the North Main Street commercial district and numerous waterfront destinations.

Future Land Use Plan

The catalyst for this exciting urban transformation will be the completion of the publicly-funded portion of the plan, which includes environmental cleanup, flood protection, and infrastructure improvements such as new bridges and enhanced roads and trails. These improvements will facilitate the development of Panther Island, resulting in an 800-acre expansion that doubles the size of the Central Business District and connects it to the Cultural District and the Stockyards.

The plan includes more than 10,000 mixed-income residences and several miles of active urban waterfront, featuring flowing canals and corridors that create uniquely walkable spaces for new businesses, restaurants, and recreational opportunities. Panther Island’s distinctive features will give Fort Worth a nationally competitive edge, attracting a culturally diverse population that seeks a dynamic environment in which to live, work, play, and learn.

The purpose of the Trinity Lakes District (TLD) is to stimulate economic development in East Fort Worth by supporting a growing residential market. The TLD code establishes specific character areas with a pedestrian‐oriented mix of uses and convenient access between neighborhoods, shopping, employment, housing and other neighborhood services. The goal is to make the Trinity Lakes District an attractive and vibrant community hub. 

Permitted Land Use

District Design Guidelines

The Stockyards Historic and Form-Based Code district has 3 zones: the historic district, the transition district, and the edge district. The edge and transition districts are urban design overlays and are administered by urban design staff. Please visit the Stockyards webpage for more information. 

The members of the I-35W Coalition envision a corridor along this portion of I-35W that reflects a level of quality and an aesthetic character that would support the continued economic sustainability of the area and that would help retain natural features of the landscape environment. The standards and guidelines are intended to help achieve this vision by focusing on three primary design elements: landscaping, lighting, and site planning. 

District Design Standards

• I-35 Design Overlay District Standards & Guidelines(PDF, 5MB)

The Panther Island Plan, released in 2004, proposes an urban lake and a publicly accessible waterfront surrounded by vibrant, mixed-use neighborhoods. The peripheral zones will support the revitalization of the urban district while retaining characteristic elements already present along the Trinity River. Standards and guidelines, as well as the development review process, should support creativity and exceptional design while discouraging uniformity.

District Design Guidelines

The Downtown Urban Design District has four character zones: Downtown Core, Greenway Neighborhood, Rock Island/Samuels Avenue Neighborhood, and Industrial Gateway. The Downtown Urban Design District is an overlay administered by the Downtown Design Review Board and the staff of Preservation and Design. Please visit the Downtown webpage for more information.

The Cultural District is located just west of downtown Fort Worth on the bustling West Seventh and Camp Bowie corridors.

The West Seventh and Camp Bowie corridor is experiencing a tremendous amount of new investment. Future plans and projects indicate that the Cultural District will continue to grow for the foreseeable future.

Currently, the Cultural Development District Initiative is working with business owners in the Cultural District to improve the streets and provide development standards and guidelines for future development.

Design District Plans

Most of the property in the West Seventh/Cultural District area is zone mixed use. Currently, the Cultural District Development Initiative is working with property owners to develop a urban design overlay. The overlay will address the form and design elements needed to guide future growth to complement the vision for this area of the city.

If property owners agree to create an urban design overlay, the Cultural/West Seventh will join the growing number of design districts in Fort Worth.

• View the district map(PDF, 133KB)