Philadelphia Zoning Intelligence
Zoning, permitted uses, and development potential for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 39 districts with their permitted uses and building controls.
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How is Philadelphia zoned?
Philadelphia regulates land through 39 zoning districts, and the residential system names the building form directly: Residential Single Family Attached, Residential Single Family Detached and Residential Multifamily.
The attached series runs RSA1 through RSA5, and RSA5 is the largest district in the city at roughly 10,695 acres, with RSA3 at about 6,038. A city whose largest residential district is single family attached rather than detached is describing its rowhouse fabric accurately, and the detached districts cover roughly 6,616 acres by comparison.
The mixed use commercial districts are numbered with an unusual half step. CMX2, CMX2.5, CMX3 and CMX4 cover neighborhood and community commercial mixed use, and the 2.5 designation gives the city an intermediate rung between neighborhood and community scale.
An Industrial Commercial Mixed Use district covers roughly 1,458 acres, providing a route between industrial and commercial use.
The Special Purpose districts name their function: active parks and open space at roughly 9,593 acres, the second largest classification, plus airport at about 910 and institutional at roughly 810.
Industrial is graduated across light at roughly 3,184 acres, medium at about 6,311 and heavy at roughly 4,932. This is pre-development intelligence, not legal advice - verify with the local planning department before acquisition.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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. Philadelphia'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 |
|---|---|---|
RSA5 Residential Single Family Attached | - | 10,695.1 ac |
SPPOA Special Purpose Active Parks And Open Space | - | 9,592.7 ac |
I2 Medium Industrial | - | 6,310.6 ac |
RSA3 Residential Single Family Attached | - | 6,038.3 ac |
What are the building controls in Philadelphia?
Setback, height, FAR, lot area, and density controls enforced across Philadelphia zoning districts.
- Building height
- Coverage
- Density
- FAR
- Front setback
- Lot
- Lot width
- Multi
- Pervious
- Rear setback
- Side setback
Other Pennsylvania cities
Philadelphia zoning: frequently asked questions
- Why is the largest residential district single family attached?
- RSA5 covers roughly 10,695 acres and RSA3 about 6,038, while the detached districts cover roughly 6,616 acres in total. That accurately describes Philadelphia's rowhouse fabric.
- What does CMX2.5 mean?
- An intermediate rung between neighborhood and community commercial mixed use. The series runs CMX2, CMX2.5, CMX3 and CMX4, and the half step gives the city a designation between the two scales.
- What is the Industrial Commercial Mixed Use district?
- A district covering roughly 1,458 acres providing a route between industrial and commercial use rather than requiring a choice between the two.
- What are the Special Purpose districts?
- Districts named by function: active parks and open space at roughly 9,593 acres, the second largest classification, plus airport at about 910 acres and institutional at roughly 810.
- How much industrial land is there?
- Light industrial covers roughly 3,184 acres, medium industrial about 6,311 and heavy industrial roughly 4,932, together over fourteen thousand acres.
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Book a demo →Zoning data is pre-development intelligence, not legal advice. Verify with the Philadelphia planning department before acquisition or design.