Somerville Zoning Overhaul

Utile assisted the City of Somerville in the final stages of its Zoning Overhaul, timed appropriately with ongoing planning and anticipated growth for the City. The new zoning code serves to guide future development, incorporating the concerns and suggestions of Somerville residents. Utile worked closely with the City of Somerville to present the zoning code in clear language and engaging graphics in an effort to improve the user’s experience navigating the code.

Utile also provided Open Space Typologies; illustrative graphics that easily translate the code standards and make the ordinance clearer to read, understand, and ultimately ensure that it is more customer-friendly. Unique from most zoning codes, the City of Somerville is also regulating programmatic and design requirements for different types of open spaces. Utile produced these illustrative typologies to translate these requirements by producing caricatures of what such open spaces might look like, while still highlighting how program and design requirements might be incorporated.