It has the sex appeal of a phone book.

But the new, 244-page proposed zoning law for Madison, still likely to expand by 100 more pages, will shape the city's future and, potentially, yours.

"It's one of the most important things I will do in my term in office," Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said of the code rewrite, which began last spring.

The existing 43-year-old code was forged under different values, Cieslewicz said, encouraging sprawl and discouraging mixed uses and compact neighborhoods.

The draft code, with a theme of environmental sustainability, promotes mixed uses and more density, requires less paved parking and, for the first time, supports urban agriculture.

"We're trying to write a green code," city zoning administrator Matt Tucker said.

What the proposed zoning law means for ...

Re-doing a commercial strip

One of the more disputed rules would set standards for mixed-use and commercial districts outside Downtown. A traditional shopping area like Atwood Avenue, or a neighborhood mixed-use area, like the intersection of Regent and Allen streets, would impose a four-story height limit. Mixed-use centers like Sequoya Commons or Hilldale, or commercial corridors like East Washington Avenue, would have a five-story height limit. Buildings could be taller with a special permit. Developers strongly oppose height limits in these areas, saying it will discourage urban redevelopment projects.

Building a garage

Current zoning rules limit the size, but not the number of, detached accessory buildings such as garages that can be built on residential lots. That sometimes forces people to erect multiple buildings when they'd prefer one big one. The draft code would determine the allowable size of an accessory building, or buildings, based on the size of the lot. The new rules are intended to be more straightforward, flexible and consistent with modern construction projects.

Commercial parking

The city has a lot of rules for commercial parking, which can inhibit new businesses, like inner-city restaurants that can't create new parking. It can also force other businesses to create lots that will rarely, if ever, be fully used. The draft code greatly reduces minimum parking requirements for many uses, provides ways to ease requirements and encourages shared parking. The changes could encourage the re-use of existing commercial spaces. The new rules still require parking for larger businesses.

A look at more details in the proposed zoning code:

Urban agriculture/local food production

Community gardens would be allowed in any zone, while market gardens - groups of people growing food for sale - would be allowed with a special approval anywhere. Greenhouses and indoor fish farms would be allowed with special approval in certain zoning districts. Urban agriculture - considered to be farming, composting, greenhouses, classroom spaces and continuing education - would be allowed with special permission. The draft code keeps the current agriculture district, which preserves existing agricultural operations on the edges of the city.

The current and draft codes prohibit commercial production or farm stands on residential properties, and it's unlikely that someone could get a single residential lot rezoned for that use.

New zoning districts

Much of the development before 1966 doesn't match with current zoning rules. UW-Madison, for example, is in a residential district that allows colleges with a special permit. The draft code includes new districts such as campus institutional, airport, traditional (meaning older) residential and suburban residential to better reflect the existing character or plans. The new districts will let owners do more building projects as a matter of right that currently would need special permission. That means the owner of an older home likely could add an open front porch without special permission.

Co-op housing

Advocates have pushed to loosen rules on cooperative residential housing. But the draft code keeps current limits, which restrict co-ops to high-density residential districts such as the Langdon Street neighborhood near UW-Madison. The new code, however, would create some new opportunities for co-op housing in areas similar to those already allowed. The new code has some additional zoning districts where co-ops may locate, by right or by special approval.

Granny flats

Advocates say that accessory dwelling units, called "granny flats," are a smart way to create extra housing opportunities for the elderly, family members or low-income people. The units, often above a garage or attached to a single-family home, are now allowed only in new residential areas where the location is approved and the unit can be built at the time of initial development. The draft code allows new flexibility by letting residents determine in neighborhood plans if and how units should be permitted, with council approval.

Adding a patio

The city has little ability now to prevent a homeowner from paving or covering their entire lot with impervious surfaces, such as a house, garage, patio and driveways. Under the draft code, the percentage of a lot that could be covered with these surfaces would depend on the size of the property and its zoning district. A 3,000-square-foot inner-city lot, for example, could be 75 percent covered, while an 8,000-square-foot suburban lot could only be 50 percent covered. Green roofs, pervious paving and narrow walkways would be exempt.

Buying an old home

Many Near East and Near West Side neighborhoods such as Dudgeon-Monroe, Tenney Lapham and Vilas have small residential lots divided more than a half-century ago that don't meet the current code. That can complicate attempts to buy or refinance such "nonconforming" properties or to remodel them by enlarging a kitchen or adding a bathroom. The draft code tries to recognize reality and make many of these old lots legal, which could make it easier for financial transactions and home improvement projects.

Still to come

The draft language for Downtown building heights and rules aren't finished because the city wants to align the new code with the emerging Downtown Plan, the first sweeping new plan to guide development in the central city in 20 years.

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