Unified Development Code

Located immediately northwest of Dallas, the Town of Addison, Texas, is a unique community in north Texas with a very high daytime population but a relatively small land area and resident population. Like many other communities, Addison’s development regulations had been amended many times over the years, but had not been comprehensively evaluated or revised in decades. As a result, portions of the regulations were outdated and not well-equipped to implement the Town’s fast-changing land use policies. Addison had also been an early leader in using form-based regulations in key employment and mixed-use corridors, but those updates were added over time without being fully integrated into the overall code structure. This contributed to repetition, inconsistencies, and a confusing overall organization. As a result, many recent projects in Addison had relied on negotiated agreements that bypassed the development regulations altogether, which was often a sign that a zoning code was not meeting a community’s need. Clarion worked with the Town to complete a comprehensive rewrite of the regulations. Addison’s new Unified Development Code is intended to support a thriving, resilient, and forward-thinking community that will remain locally and nationally competitive. The new Addison UDC establishes an updated list of zoning districts and land uses, sets clear minimum quality standards for new development, and establishes efficient procedures under which proposed development applications are considered. The new Addison UDC was adopted by City Council in March 2025.