Cambridge residents say they don’t want more density on their quiet streets but the mayor says it’s coming whether they like it or not.

The city is rewriting its decades old zoning rules but the plan met pushback from residents and some councillors Tuesday evening.

The comprehensive zoning bylaw review — its first in 40 years — would move Cambridge to form-based zoning. The new rules will focus more on the look and scale of buildings rather than the type of housing.

Where most low-rise areas in Cambridge only allow single detached homes right now, under the proposed new system, other housing types like duplexes, triplexes, and small townhouses could also be built as long as they meet rules around height, setbacks, parking and landscaping.

The update is part of the city’s work under the

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