Brandon Bell
Brandon Bell serves as the Countywide Planner for Cache County. In this capacity, he engages in long-range planning responsibilities for the County, and assists cities in Cache County with their planning needs. He served previously as the Planning and Zoning Administrator for Pleasant View City, and Associate Planner for North Ogden City. Given his deep interest in walkable communities, Brandon has qualified to be an accredited member of the Congress for the New Urbanism, an expert in form-based code as a tool for creating those walkable environments, and has earned the Form-Based Codes Institute Certificate. He sees form-based codes, particularly larger-scale ‘walkable community codes’, as the premier tool for zoning in the future, and, in combination with expanding ownership opportunities, as a path forward for affordable housing. Brandon graduated cum laude, and with departmental Honors from Utah State University, as part of earning his Bachelor’s of Landscape Architecture degree, and a minor in Sociology. As part of that degree, he completed an extensive thesis on the relationship between walkable environments and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
Session(s):
Ownership Opportunities for Moderate-Income & Missing Middle Housing & Walkable Community Codes »
2025 APA UT Spring Conference, May 8, 2025 10:15 amThe American Dream of homeownership is evolving as housing affordability remains a pressing challenge. While detached single-family homes have dominated residential development, alternative ownership structures—such as partial ownership and condos—offer new pathways to property ownership. When combined with missing middle housing types in walkable communities, these options create greater opportunities for attainable housing. This session explores how innovative zoning codes can support vibrant, mixed-use neighborhoods that naturally foster affordability and diverse housing choices. Attendees will gain insights into how walkable communities can unlock new ownership opportunities and reshape the future of housing.
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