City codes are the foundation of local governance. They guide everything from land use and public safety to housing and infrastructure. But in many municipalities, these documents are outdated, fragmented, or difficult to access. That makes even simple planning decisions harder than they need to be.

Updating your city code isn’t just a legal obligation. It’s an opportunity to build a more transparent, efficient, and responsive government.

Why Updating the City Code Matters

Over time, codes often become a patchwork of amendments and additions. That creates several challenges:

• Inconsistent interpretations across departments
• Outdated language that doesn’t reflect current policy goals
• Barriers to housing, development, or sustainability
• Longer onboarding and steeper learning curves for new staff

As theAPA stated in Code Reform Guidence: "Many local zoning codes are still based on an almost 100-year-old framework that prioritizes best practices from a previous generation. Practices like separating uses and encouraging more space for automobiles than people are still far too common."

And even in cities with a relatively clean set of ordinances, navigation can be a major hurdle. When the information is buried, siloed, or stored in static PDFs, it slows down everyone’s work.

How Cities Are Modernizing

Many cities are already reworking their development codes to align with growth, equity, and climate goals. These efforts often involve:

• A full audit of existing documents
• Coordination across planning, legal, and engineering teams
• Public engagement to ensure community needs are heard
• Tools that help surface conflicts, outdated language, or redundancies

If you're reading this article, you are likely looking at a pile of data, research, and industry resources on what, exactly, you should be thinking about. Here are some areas of focus you should consider for your city as you are mapping out your upgrade strategy.

1. Zoning Reform

Zoning is one of the most common—and most urgent—areas for code updates.

• Form-based codes: Replace use-based zoning with design-focused guidelines to encourage walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods.
• Upzoning: Allow for increased density in residential areas to address housing shortages.
• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs): Legalize or simplify permitting for ADUs to expand affordable housing options.
• Missing Middle Housing: Enable townhomes, duplexes, and triplexes in areas previously zoned only for single-family homes.

“Traditional zoning codes have not kept pace with the changing needs of communities. Reform is essential for promoting affordability, equity, and sustainability.” — National League of Cities

2. Climate and Resilience Integration

Cities are embedding sustainability goals directly into the code.

• Green building standards (e.g. LEED requirements or energy-efficient design)
• Stormwater management upgrades, including permeable surfaces and green infrastructure
• Wildfire, flood, and heat mitigation measures for vulnerable areas
• Solar-ready or EV-ready building requirements

3. Equity and Inclusion

Modern codes aim to dismantle structural barriers and improve access.

• Inclusive definitions (e.g., expanding household definitions for co-housing)
• Anti-displacement protections, like tenant relocation assistance in redevelopment areas
• Universal design standards for accessibility
• Language access requirements in permitting and code enforcement

“Policies must reflect the lived experiences of all residents—particularly those historically excluded from planning decisions.” — Urban Institute

4. Technology and Digital Services

Bringing codes into the digital era makes them more usable and transparent.

• Automated permitting systems
• Chat-based or AI-guided code navigation for staff and constituents (tools like Ordinal can assist)‍
• Alerts and change-tracking when regulations are updated

5. Simplification and Clarity

Many city codes are bloated and difficult to interpret. Reform often includes:

• Consolidating overlapping or contradictory ordinances
• Plain language rewrites
• Better cross-referencing between departments and documents
• Sunsetting outdated or unenforced provisions

6. Economic Development Alignment

Zoning and permitting codes often need to be updated to support economic goals.

• Faster permit timelines for business development
• Zoning overlays for innovation zones or arts districts
• Temporary use and pop-up allowances to encourage small business incubation

7. Public Engagement & Transparency

Reforms should also focus on how the public interacts with city codes.

• Interactive digital platforms to explore how code affects parcels or neighborhoods
• Embedded community feedback loops in planning workflows
• Open data standards for code-related decisions and permits

Modernizing your code is no small task, but it's easier with the right digital infrastructure in place.

Where AI Can Help

Smart cities are now using AI tools to make code modernization more manageable. Tools like Ordinal give city staff the ability to:

• Search across all documents instantly
• Ask questions in plain language and receive cited answers
• Compare older plans or codes to current ones
• Receive notifications when policies are misaligned or outdated

Because Ordinal is trained only on your city’s approved documents—like zoning codes, ordinances, and planning reports—it delivers highly accurate answers with built-in citations. This is a critical difference from generic AI tools, which often pull from the open internet and can’t be trusted for policy-specific decisions.

“Code modernization isn’t just about legal edits,” says Jacob Herrington, co-founder of Ordinal. “It’s about making institutional knowledge searchable, verifiable, and usable for everyone on staff.”

Getting Started: A Quick Checklist

If you’re preparing to update your codebase, consider the following:

1. Inventory your documents. Know what’s in use, what’s conflicting, and what’s out of date.
2. Spot the pain points. Talk with staff to find where delays or confusion happen most.
3. Deploy digital tools early. Use a tool like Ordinal to support internal analysis or consultant-led audits.
4. Be transparent. Keep the public informed and involved during the process.
5. Plan for updates. Version control and regular reviews prevent future bottlenecks.

Final Thought

Upgrading your city’s code is about more than compliance. It’s a chance to make governance more functional and aligned with the needs of today’s residents. With purpose-built AI and better document access, cities can take on this challenge with confidence and clarity.

Want to see how Ordinal supports code modernization?
Schedule a demo and get started in under 30 minutes—no IT lift required.

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