Mapping Washington, D.C.'s New Zoning Code

After years of planning, Washington, D.C. this year adopted a new zoning code. With new maps from the District Office of Zoning, you can see for yourself what the city's new land use regulation regime looks like.

1 minute read

October 26, 2016, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Washington D.C.

Andrei Medvedev / Shutterstock

Neil Flanagan shares news of a newly released map from the Washington, D.C. Office of Zoning that illustrates all the zones enacted by the District's new zoning code.

The map is one of many the zoning office has published to explain the changeover. If you click the image above, you'll see a sidebar that shows the eight categories that define how land in DC can be used: Residential; Residential Flat; Residential Apartment; Neighborhood Mixed Use; Mixed Use; Downtown; Production, Distribution and Repair; and Special Purpose.

Flanagan also provides analysis of the new map, pointing out some of the patterns revealed by the map. "For example, the yellow and orange shapes show areas where only houses, flats, or apartment buildings can be built. At a glance, over half of DC's residential land is zoned exclusively for [single-family houses]—that's conservative, since most other zones also allow single-family houses," according to Flanagan.

The new zoning code went into effect in September, after gaining approval in January of this year. The latest article from Flanagan continues Greater Greater Washington's coverage of the new zoning code. An article from May by Emily Brown regarding the new zoning code's allowances for accessory dwelling units is also recommended reading.

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