Community + Civic

Attracting investment with simpler rules

Integrated Development Ordinance

As part of a consultant team, DPS worked with the City of Albuquerque to update the City's Comprehensive Plan, zoning, and development standards. As other cities have done, such as Raleigh, Denver, and Austin, Albuquerque has revamped its overall development process to help keep the City competitive in terms of attracting new investment, skilled workers, and retirees. The Integrated Development Ordinance (IDO) reshapes the regulatory and policy framework that govern land development within the City of Albuquerque. It takes a confusing and unpredictable land development process and replaces it with a streamlined, consistent set of zoning regulations and standards.

DPS, as a subconsultant to Clarion Associates, revised the City's overall development standards, known as the Development Process Manual (DPM), which was originally drafted in the 70s. The DPM contained the City's standards for everything from stormwater to landscape and street design, but did not reflect contemporary development goals. DPS worked to ensure that national best practices were utilized to bring the standards up-to-date, and revamped the outdated manual to make it more graphically legible and digitally accessible. The revised DPM is intended to simplify the development process, making it more understandable for property owners, developers, and neighbors, and more enforceable for City staff.

In addition to working on the DPM, DPS also acted as the local consultant, providing input on the Comprehensive Plan and on the new zoning code. DPS also provided public outreach on the project, organizing stakeholder meetings and acting as a liaison to the development community.

Client
City of Albuquerque

Location
Albuquerque, NM

Disciplines