New York City Zoning Intelligence
Zoning, permitted uses, and development potential for New York City, New York. 203 districts with their permitted uses and building controls.
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How is New York City zoned?
New York City regulates land through 203 zoning districts, and the system is the most widely studied in the country.
Residential districts run R1 through R10, and within most of those a letter suffix creates further distinctions. A and X suffixes mark contextual districts with stricter form controls, and B suffixes mark lower-scale contextual variants. R3-2 is the largest residential district at roughly 16,883 acres, with R6 at about 13,004 and R5 at roughly 12,736.
The district names describe building form directly: single family detached, detached, detached and semi detached, and general residence. That vocabulary tells you what the district contemplates without reference to a density figure.
Manufacturing districts use a two-part code where the first number marks the intensity, M1 light through M3 heavy, and the second marks the performance standard. M1-1 alone covers roughly 15,289 acres, the third largest classification in the city.
Park is the largest classification at roughly 35,791 acres, more than twice the largest residential district, which in a city of this density is a substantial commitment.
The contextual suffixes are the key diligence point: R6, R6A and R6B are three separate districts with different building envelopes despite sharing a number. This is pre-development intelligence, not legal advice - verify with the local planning department before acquisition.
New York City, New York 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 York City'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 |
|---|---|---|
PARK Park | - | 35,791.2 ac |
R3-2 General Residence | - | 16,883.4 ac |
M1-1 Light Manufacturing High Performance | - | 15,289.1 ac |
R6 General Residence | - | 13,004.1 ac |
What are the building controls in New York City?
Setback, height, FAR, lot area, and density controls enforced across New York City zoning districts.
- Building height
- Coverage
- Density
- FAR
- Front setback
- Lot
- Lot width
- Multi
- Pervious
- Rear setback
- Side setback
Other New York cities
New York City zoning: frequently asked questions
- What do the letter suffixes on New York residential districts mean?
- A and X mark contextual districts with stricter form controls, and B marks lower-scale contextual variants. R6, R6A and R6B are three separate districts with different building envelopes despite sharing a number.
- How do the manufacturing codes work?
- Through a two-part code where the first number marks intensity, M1 light through M3 heavy, and the second marks the performance standard. M1-1 alone covers roughly 15,289 acres.
- Which is the largest classification?
- Park at roughly 35,791 acres, more than twice the largest residential district. In a city of this density that is a substantial commitment of land.
- Which residential districts cover the most land?
- R3-2 at roughly 16,883 acres, R6 at about 13,004, R5 at roughly 12,736 and R4 at about 12,446. The lower-numbered districts dominate by area despite the city's density reputation.
- How do the district names describe form?
- Directly: single family detached, detached, detached and semi detached, and general residence. That vocabulary states what the district contemplates without reference to a density figure.
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Book a demo →Zoning data is pre-development intelligence, not legal advice. Verify with the New York City planning department before acquisition or design.