"Think of a building you think was ugly," Mehaffy said. "What does that do for the neighborhood, versus a nice building that fits in really well? That's why we have gone through this entire exercise. It wasn't something we could come up with in City Hall alone. We had to get that opinion from the people who live and work here."

The Green Code will wipe off the books numerous antiquated zoning laws, including the technical allowance of asbestos factories on the Outer Harbor and housing in Delaware Park.

Passage will also overhaul the city's land use plans for the first time since 1977.

In all, the document is expected to bring direction, uniformity, clarity and simplicity to zoning and land planning for the city's 94,000 parcels in 24 neighborhoods, districts and corridors.

Even before its passage, the Green Code has served as a model for rewriting the code in Somerville, Mass.

Here are a half-dozen ways in which the city's current code and the Green Code – which would take effect 45 days after passage – differ.

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Parking