Land Development Code and Manual of Practice

The Urbana Land Development Code (LDC), previously known as the "Subdivision and Land Development Code", is the main tool the City uses to regulate the development of land within the City and within 1.5 miles of the corporate boundary.

The Urbana LDC was updated in March 2023.  The City will begin enforcing the new LDC for all developments with plats recorded after July 1, 2023 or, if a development has no associated plats, with building permit applications submitted after July 1, 2023.

The Urbana Manual of Practice (MOP) was introduced with the March 2023 update to the LDC.  The MOP is a technical document whose purpose is to establish the design, material, and construction standards for improvements required for developments.  The LDC refers to the MOP for technical content, and the MOP is an integral part of the LDC.

Occasionally, the LDC is amended by an ordinance adopted by the City Council. Such amendments may include new regulations, or clarifications and/or deletion of existing regulations. Proposed amendments are first reviewed by staff to determine if they are consistent with the goals and policies outlined in the City's current comprehensive plan. Proposed amendments are then presented to the Urbana Plan Commission and Urbana City Council.

The MOP is an administrative document.  This designation allows the City's Administrative Review Committee (ARC) to be the authority for revising, amending, or modifying the MOP.  Changes to the MOP may be requested, using a form contained in Appendix K of the MOP.  Excluding emergency items, revisions to the MOP will be considered annually.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Planning Division at planning@urbanaillinois.us or (217) 384-2440. Printed copies of the Urbana LDC are available for $10 each at the City Clerk's office located at 400 South Vine Street in downtown Urbana.

PLEASE NOTE: A casual reader of the Urbana LDC may miss important information located in other sections of the ordinance. In addition amendments to the Ordinance are made from time to time and may not be reflected in the web addition.

It is strongly recommended that before any decisions are made regarding land development information you contact the City of Urbana Planning Division for discussion and clarification.