Overview
Worth knowing
- Underground Space District (§88-265) is unique nationally — KC sits atop 50+ million sf of repurposed underground limestone mines zoned independently from surface parcels. One of the few instances of 3D urban zoning in the US.
- KCI Airport is a standalone zoning district (KCIA §88-275), not an overlay — assigns distinct base-equivalent zoning to airport and surrounds. Most cities use overlay approach instead.
- Westport has its own named overlay chapter (§88-285) with building composition, site design, and sign standards — form-based code level of detail, unusual for an overlay.
+ 5 more in Quirks & notes
Districts
res_sf 6com 5cbd 4res_mf 3off 3ind 3
| Code | Name | Category | Min lot | Height | Coverage | FAR | Du/ac | Parking | Setbacks F/S/R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R-80 | Residential Large Lot | res_sf | 80,000 sf[1] | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-20 | Residential 20,000 sf | res_sf | 20,000 sf[2] | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-10 | Residential 10,000 sf | res_sf | 10,000 sf[3] | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-7.5 | Residential 7,500 sf | res_sf | 7,500 sf[4] | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-6 | Residential 6,000 sf | res_sf | 6,000 sf[5] | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-2.5 | Residential 2,500 sf | res_sf | 2,500 sf[6] | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-2 | Residential Two-Family / Medium Density | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-1.5 | Residential Higher Density | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-1 | Residential Highest Density | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| O-1 | Office Low Intensity | off | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| O-1.5 | Office Medium Intensity | off | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| O-2 | Office Higher Intensity | off | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| B-1 | Neighborhood Business | com | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| B-2 | Community Business | com | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| B-3 | Community Business | com | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| B-4 | General Business | com | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| B-9 | Highway Commercial | com | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| D-1 | Downtown Lower Intensity | cbd | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| D-2 | Downtown Medium Intensity | cbd | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| D-3 | Downtown High Intensity | cbd | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| D-4 | Downtown Highest Intensity | cbd | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| M-1 | Light Manufacturing | ind | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| M-1.5 | Medium Manufacturing | ind | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| M-2 | Heavy Manufacturing | ind | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found
Overlays
CXO
Adult Entertainment Overlay District
SPDDesignated map locations — only locations where adult entertainment uses permitted
| restriction | Adult entertainment uses only permitted within CXO; prohibited elsewhere |
|---|---|
| site_requirements | §88-210-03 |
SCD
Special Character Districts
CONNamed districts established per §88-215-02
| note | Framework chapter; individual district regulations vary |
|---|
NCO
Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District
CONPetition-initiated by 50%+1 of property owners; Council designation
| review | Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) required for exterior alterations, demolition, new construction |
|---|---|
| tracks | Administrative COA (§88-225-06) and Overlay Design Review Board COA (§88-225-07) |
| review_cycle | NCO regulations reviewed every 10 years (§88-225-10) |
PO
Pedestrian-Oriented Overlay
CORSpecific corridors or districts by Council action
| standards | Build-to lines, ground-floor activation, reduced surface parking, facade transparency |
|---|---|
| note | Specific numerical standards not retrieved |
HO
Historic Overlay District
HPCouncil action on Historic Preservation Commission recommendation; individual properties or districts
| review | Certificate of Appropriateness required for exterior alterations, new construction, demolition, relocation |
|---|---|
| standards | Development/design standards at §88-235-04 |
| use_modifications | Base zone uses may be modified per §88-235-03 |
SC
Shoal Creek District
ENVProperties within Shoal Creek planning area boundary (creek corridor and surrounds)
| requirements | Community Master Plan (§88-255-03), Neighborhood Plan (§88-255-07) |
|---|---|
| environmental | Performance standards for environmental protection (§88-255-05) |
| approvals | Final plat and final plan approval required (§88-255-08) |
UR
Urban Redevelopment District
SPDRezoning to eligible blighted or underutilized areas
| process | Custom use regulations and lot/building standards via development plan approval |
|---|
US
Underground Space District
SPDDesignated subsurface limestone mine areas; 50+ million sf of repurposed underground space
| uses | Underground commercial, storage, industrial uses (§88-265-03) |
|---|---|
| standards | Structural safety, access, ventilation, fire protection (§88-265-04) |
KCIA
Kansas City International Airport District
APKCI airport and immediate surrounds
| uses | Airport-compatible uses only (§88-275-02) |
|---|---|
| note | Standalone base-equivalent district, not an overlay — unusual approach |
MPD
Master Planned Development District
PDRezoning for master planned communities
| process | Developer Statement of Intent (§88-280-03); use/lot/building per approved plan |
|---|
Westport
Westport Overlay District
HPHistoric Westport entertainment district — KC's oldest neighborhood center
| uses | Modified use list (§88-285-02); some base uses restricted, others added |
|---|---|
| building | Building composition standards (§88-285-04) — massing, facade articulation, transparency |
| site_design | Site design standards (§88-285-05) |
| signs | Sign standards (§88-285-06) |
WHO
Wornall Homestead Overlay District
CONWornall/Homestead area neighborhood
| note | Neighborhood character overlay; specific parameters not found |
|---|
AG-R
Agricultural-Residential District
SPDRural and agricultural fringe areas
| uses | Agricultural and low-density residential (§88-270-02) |
|---|---|
| note | Specific lot sizes and setbacks not retrieved |
Adopted building codes
Local adoption
Click a code label to open its state-by-state adoption atlas.
Quirks & notes
- Underground Space District (§88-265) is unique nationally — KC sits atop 50+ million sf of repurposed underground limestone mines zoned independently from surface parcels. One of the few instances of 3D urban zoning in the US.
- KCI Airport is a standalone zoning district (KCIA §88-275), not an overlay — assigns distinct base-equivalent zoning to airport and surrounds. Most cities use overlay approach instead.
- Westport has its own named overlay chapter (§88-285) with building composition, site design, and sign standards — form-based code level of detail, unusual for an overlay.
- Infill residential development standards (§88-110-07) create parallel lot/building standards for infill contexts, reducing mismatch between code standards and existing built fabric.
- 2025 parking reform (Ord. 260219) overhauled §88-420: added maximum parking ratios (significant departure from minimum-only codes), updated bicycle parking, reduced parking near transit.
- Downtown FAR/height bonus system (§88-130-07) is menu-based — developers earn additional floor area/height by providing affordable housing, public open space, or public amenities.
- 2011 hybrid code intentionally blends use-based and form-based approaches — downtown/commercial districts regulate form more explicitly while residential/industrial remain conventionally use-based.
- R-number naming likely encodes lot size in 1,000s sf for larger districts (R-80 = 80,000 sf) but shifts to density index at smaller numbers — not confirmed from code text.
Formulas
Definitions
- height
- Not retrieved — see §88-110-06, §88-120-04, §88-130-05, §88-140-04
- lot_coverage
- Not retrieved — see 100 Series district tables
- far
- Not retrieved — see 100 Series district tables
- du_ac
- Not retrieved — see §88-110-06
- impervious_cover
- setback_front
- Not retrieved — see 100 Series district tables
- setback_side
- Not retrieved
- setback_rear
- Not retrieved
- parking
- Overhauled 2025 (Ord. 260219); minimums + maximums; reduced near transit. §88-420
Capacity calculations
- max_footprint_sf
lot_area_sf * lot_coverage- max_gfa_sf
lot_area_sf * far- parking_required
units * parking
Massing explorer
Interactive 3D comparison across every district. Drag to orbit, scroll to zoom, use the slider to walk districts, and toggle applicable overlays in the right-side panel.
Sort by
Max height
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Floor area ratio
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Setbacks (F / S / R)
— ft
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Parking
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Max density
— du/ac
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Min lot size
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| District | Category | Height | FAR | Coverage | Setbacks | Parking | Density | Min lot | Overlays |
|---|
Sources & references
Citations
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Research status
Data quality
25%completeness13 confirmed24 partial8 inferred
Documented gaps
- All base district dimensional standards (height, lot coverage, setbacks, FAR, parking) not retrieved — Municode JS rendering prevented table access
- Specific overlay numerical parameters (PO, AG-R lot sizes, US structural standards) not retrieved
- §88-215 Special Character Districts list not fully enumerated
- Wornall Homestead Overlay specific parameters not found
- 2025 parking amendment values need verification from current §88-420 text
Known issues
schema:v1-legacypriority:lowdata:gaps-present
Other cities in this state
Nearest-alphabetical profiles. Click through to compare zoning patterns side-by-side.