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Draft Code Organization and Outline

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The existing Zoning Regulations (Title 11, DCMR) are poorly organized, and it’s often difficult to find needed information. The Zoning Update addresses this challenge by reorganizing Title 11 into a set of regulations with a clear hierarchy—a place for everything, and everything in its place.


How will the zoning regulations be organized?

The proposed reorganization is as follows:

Subtitle A (Administration and Procedures): This subtitle will include the basic instructions or "operating manual" for the zoning regulations, including their lega lauthority, enforcement, procedures, and definitions.

Subtitle B (General Regulations): This subtitle will include general rules that apply across the entire city, and procides instructions for applying the regulations. Here, you will find information to answer questions like:

  • How do I measure the height of a building?
  • What does Floor-Area Ratio mean, and how do I calculate it?
  • Where can parking spaces be located?

Subtitle C (General Processes): This subitle will include the rules for several processes important to get approval for zoning applications. These include variances, special exceptions, density transfers, rezoning, and campus plans.

Subtitles D through J (land use subtitles): These subtitles reorganize the chapters in the current zoning regulations that provide rules for all zone districts. The subtitles reorganize thse districts into "families of zones" Each "family" (or "land use subtitle") follows similar rules. The proposed land use subtitles are:

  • Subtitle D (Residential House)
  • Subtitle E (Residential Apartment)
  • Subtitle F (Residential Transit)
  • Subtitle G (Mixed Use)
  • Subtitle H (Mixed Use Transit)
  • Subtitle I (Downtown)
  • Subtitle J (Production, Distribution, and Repair)

 

Proposed Organization of Zoning Regulations


 

Documents related to individual subject areas or working groups, rather than the code as a whole are located under "Areas of Interest" on the left menu of this website.