PUD’s are a good planning tool to provide development creativity and flexibility as well as a mechanism to describe and define how a project meets community goals. The following is a list of 32 criteria that can be included in a good PUD ordinance:

   »  Compatibility with Comprehensive Plan
   »  Jobs to housing ratios
   »  Mixed use standards
   »  As of right vs. performance standards
   »  Clustering of residential uses and types
   »  Development standards – new urbanism, Euclidean or hybrid
   »  Design guidelines
   »  Short form or long form criteria
   »  Infill development provisions
   »  Conceptual plans included as requirements
   »  Provides direction on subdivision plats and future site planning
   »  Potential density transfer criteria
   »  Overlay zone, or separate set of standards & conditional approvals
   »  Approval processes, procedures and steps – Preliminary or Final
   »  Neighborhood involvement
   »  Graphic components to illustrate concepts
   »  Vested Development Rights criteria
   »  Establishes obligations and commitments and timing for such
   »  Establishes a “rational nexus” basis for exactions
   »  Requires public facilities concurrent with development
   »  Allows for development agreements, and contents for such
   »  Allows for minor changes without public hearings
   »  Provides for phasing and vesting requirements for phases
   »  Provides for monitoring and record keeping provisions
   »  Clearly defines open space criteria and implementation
   »  Encourages creative design ideas
   »  Includes a clear and defining purpose for the PUD
   »  Includes definitions of terms used
   »  Defines unified control provisions
   »  Provides connectivity and buffering criteria
   »  Defines urban design criteria and concepts to be used
   »  Criteria for environmental protection and conservation easements

Land Planning Systems drafts PUD ordinances for public sector local government. And development projects to implement them for the private sector