Rules as welcoming and dependable as the city itself.

The challenge

Portsmouth's ordinance had accumulated decades of piecemeal amendments, inconsistent definitions, and discretionary bottlenecks. The city's goals were simple and ambitious: a code that is easy to read, fair to administer, and aligned with Portsmouth's economic development, housing, and quality-of-place priorities.

What we did

The project began with a diagnostic audit that traced the routine pain points: conflicting standards, duplicative approvals, unclear roles for boards and staff, and outdated use categories. Small-group interviews with city staff, developers, neighborhood leaders, and business owners turned technical problems into practical outcomes, and the team set its guiding principles: simplify approvals, calibrate standards to context, reduce uncertainty, and convert the comprehensive plan's goals into predictable rules.

The draft reorganized the code into logical chapters with plain-language purpose statements, consolidated use tables, and graphics that explain height, frontage, and lot standards at a glance. Ambiguous overlays were replaced or rationalized, and legacy provisions were rewritten to be objective and measurable. A "how to use this code" section and process flowcharts guide applicants and staff through submittals, findings, timelines, and appeals.

What changed

• Small-scale multifamily legalized where context supports it, clarified accessory dwelling unit permissions, and parking right-sized near walkable corridors and civic destinations, shifting many predictable projects to administrative review
• Modernized use definitions that welcome contemporary enterprises such as light fabrication, co-working, and neighborhood services, with fewer conditional-use triggers
• Adaptive reuse provisions that let historic and underutilized buildings transition to new life under clear performance conditions rather than bespoke negotiations
• Context-based districts with transitions that manage height and massing near sensitive edges
• Tree, stormwater, and floodplain requirements with flexible compliance paths, and tailored standards for historic areas

Implementation

The project delivered a transition memorandum, staff training, checklists, and a digital code format. Early indicators, such as fewer variances for common infill, clearer staff reports, and faster administrative approvals, suggest the rewrite is working as intended: reducing friction and encouraging investment.