Planned Urban Development (PUD)

A term used to describe a housing development not subject to standard zoning requirements for the area. With permission from the local government, a developer establishes criteria that determine the private and common areas and building guidelines. These may include street lighting designs, street width standards, architectural styles, building height standards, land coverage ratios, common area park or amenity requirements. Planned unit developments are often used to cluster homes closer together than would otherwise be allowed by local zoning laws.