New Orleans Zoning Intelligence
Zoning, permitted uses, and development potential for New Orleans, Louisiana. 70 districts with their permitted uses and building controls.
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Zoning districts are shown at zoom 15 and closer. Zoom out for the New Orleans city outline and street context.
How is New Orleans zoned?
New Orleans regulates land through 70 zoning districts, and the two largest are not development districts at all. Neighborhood Open Space covers roughly 95,255 acres and Natural Areas about 65,497. Together they account for the great majority of the jurisdiction, covering the lake, wetland and undeveloped land within the city boundary.
Any site analysis here has to start by separating that from developable ground.
The district naming carries the city's geography explicitly. HU marks historic urban districts, S marks suburban, R marks rural, M marks maritime and OS marks open space. Historic Urban Two Family Residential covers roughly 7,344 acres in one variant and about 1,871 in another, which is a direct measure of how much of the city is built in that form.
The maritime districts are the other distinguishing feature: Maritime Industrial at roughly 2,822 acres and Maritime Mixed Use at about 1,994. A port city zoning maritime activity as its own family rather than as industrial subcategories reflects how central that economy is.
One district is named for a neighborhood: Suburban Lakeview Single Family Residential at roughly 1,418 acres.
A General Planned Development district covers roughly 6,257 acres and an Educational Campus district about 1,085. Heavy Industrial covers roughly 5,053 acres. This is pre-development intelligence, not legal advice - verify with the local planning department before acquisition.
New Orleans, Louisiana Zoning Districts: What Do They Mean?
Zoning districts are areas regulated by specific laws that determine land use, building types, and development rules. Each district below shows its zone type. New Orleans's ordinance does not state permitted uses as citywide flags, so they are read from each district's own table rather than summarised here.
| Zone Code | Zone Type | Area |
|---|---|---|
OS-N Neighborhood Open Space District | - | 95,254.6 ac |
N-A Natural Areas District | - | 65,496.8 ac |
S-RS Suburban Single Family Residential District | - | 12,509 ac |
HU-RD2 Historic Urban Two Family Residential District | - | 7,344.2 ac |
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New Orleans zoning: frequently asked questions
- Why are the two largest districts open space and natural areas?
- Neighborhood Open Space covers roughly 95,255 acres and Natural Areas about 65,497, together the great majority of the jurisdiction. They cover the lake, wetland and undeveloped land inside the city boundary rather than developable ground.
- What do the prefixes in New Orleans district codes mean?
- They mark context: HU for historic urban, S for suburban, R for rural, M for maritime and OS for open space. The prefix answers the first diligence question before the use category does.
- What are the maritime districts?
- Maritime Industrial at roughly 2,822 acres and Maritime Mixed Use at about 1,994. Zoning maritime activity as its own family rather than as industrial subcategories reflects how central the port economy is.
- How much of the city is historic urban fabric?
- Historic Urban Two Family Residential covers roughly 7,344 acres in one variant and about 1,871 in another, with a historic urban neighborhood mixed use district adding roughly 1,170. That is a direct measure of the city's traditional form.
- Are any districts named for neighborhoods?
- Yes. Suburban Lakeview Single Family Residential covers roughly 1,418 acres, naming that neighborhood explicitly rather than applying a general suburban residential designation.
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Book a demo →Zoning data is pre-development intelligence, not legal advice. Verify with the New Orleans planning department before acquisition or design.