Overview
Worth knowing
- Two-axis subdistrict system: Combined Use × Density designation (e.g., R1D-VL, RM-VH) creates 25 possible residential district combinations, making Pittsburgh one of the more complex residential systems nationally; not all combinations exist (e.g., R1D uses all 5 densities VL/L/M/H/VH; R1A uses only M/H/VH)
- Landslide-Prone Overlay (LS-O) covers substantial portion of city due to dramatic hillside topography; any site on or near slope should be assumed LS-O until confirmed otherwise
- Undermined Area (UM-O) legacy coal mining creates widespread subsurface voids; uncommon in most U.S. cities and is material constraint on hillside/valley development; requires engineering review before development
+ 5 more in Quirks & notes
Districts
res_sf 5res_th 3res_mf 3com 3ind 3mu 3spec 3off 2cbd 1
| Code | Name | Category | Min lot | Height | Coverage | FAR | Du/ac | Parking | Setbacks F/S/R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1D-VL | Single-Unit Detached Residential — Very Low Density | res_sf | — | 40 ft[1] | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R1D-L | Single-Unit Detached Residential — Low Density | res_sf | — | 40 ft[2] | — | — | 14.54[3] | — | — / 0 / — |
| R1D-M | Single-Unit Detached Residential — Moderate Density | res_sf | — | 40 ft[4] | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R1D-H | Single-Unit Detached Residential — High Density | res_sf | 1,800 sf | 40 ft[5] | — | — | 23.22[6] | — | — / — / — |
| R1D-VH | Single-Unit Detached Residential — Very High Density | res_sf | — | 40 ft[7] | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R1A-M | Single-Unit Attached Residential — Moderate Density | res_th | — | 40 ft[8] | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R1A-H | Single-Unit Attached Residential — High Density | res_th | — | 40 ft[9] | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R1A-VH | Single-Unit Attached Residential — Very High Density | res_th | — | 40 ft[10] | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R2-M | Two-Unit Residential — Moderate Density | res_mf | 3,200 sf | 40 ft[11] | — | — | 12.48[12] | — | — / — / — |
| R3 | Three-Unit Residential | res_mf | — | 40 ft[13] | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| RM | Multi-Unit Residential | res_mf | — | 40 ft[14] | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| NDO | Neighborhood Office | off | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| LNC | Local Neighborhood Commercial | com | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| NDI | Neighborhood Industrial | ind | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| UNC | Urban Neighborhood Commercial | com | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| HC | Highway Commercial | com | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| GI | General Industrial | ind | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| GT | Golden Triangle | cbd | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| UC-MU | Urban Center – Mixed Use | mu | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| UC-E | Urban Center – Employment | off | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-MU | Residential – Mixed Use | mu | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| EMI | Educational/Medical Institution | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| UI | Urban Industrial | ind | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| RIV | Riverfront | mu | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| GPR | General Parks and Recreation | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| SP | Specially Planned Districts | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found
Overlays
FP-O
Floodplain Overlay
FPAll land within identified FEMA floodplain areas (Identified Floodplain Area) as shown on Official Zoning District and Height Maps
| floodway_special_permit | Activities within Floodway Area require Special Permit from City (unless exempt) |
|---|---|
| dangerous_materials_prohibition | Structures for production/storage of more than 550 gallons dangerous materials, or nursing homes, correctional facilities prohibited without Special Permit in Identified Floodplain Area |
| substantial_improvement_compliance | All new or substantially improved structures with dangerous materials/activities require FP-O compliance in addition to all other Code requirements |
| special_permit_requirements | 5 copies of: completed application, small-scale vicinity map, project documentation |
LS-O
Landslide-Prone Overlay
HSAreas identified as landslide-prone on Official Zoning District and Height Maps; substantial coverage due to Pittsburgh's hilly topography
| purpose | Reduce hazards to life and protect structures from construction on unsafe land; protect natural land features including wooded hillsides and stream valleys |
|---|---|
| development_standards | Requires geotechnical studies and limits grading and site disturbance; specific standards apply per subdistrict |
| coverage_note | Affects large portion of city due to dramatic hillside topography |
UM-O
Undermined Area Overlay
ENVAreas identified as underlain by coal mine voids or other undermining on Official Zoning Maps; common throughout Pittsburgh and western Pennsylvania due to historical coal mining
| purpose | Reduce hazards from subsidence caused by underground voids |
|---|---|
| development_requirement | Requires special construction standards or engineering review prior to development |
VP-O
View Protection Overlay
CONAreas where significant public views are to be protected, as shown on Official Zoning Maps
| height_siting_restrictions | Restrictions on building height and/or siting to protect identified view corridors |
|---|---|
| grandview_avenue | Named Public Realm District with specific height controls; VP-O may apply in vicinity |
IB-O
Institutional Boundary Overlay
INSAround designated institutional campuses (hospitals, universities)
| purpose | Regulates interface between institutional uses and surrounding residential neighborhoods |
|---|---|
| compatibility_review | Development within IB-O areas requires additional compatibility review |
AS-O
Advertising Sign Overlay
CONSpecific areas where billboard and advertising sign regulations are modified
| sign_controls | Governs placement, size, and number of advertising signs in designated area |
|---|
IPOD
Interim Planning Overlay District
SPDOakland neighborhood (IPOD-1); established to manage development pending comprehensive planning in Oakland
| purpose | Adds development review requirements in Oakland beyond base district standards |
|---|---|
| adjacent_district | SP-7 Oakland Planned Unit Development District operates in Oakland area alongside IPOD-1 |
Adopted building codes
Most jurisdictions opt in
Click a code label to open its state-by-state adoption atlas.
Quirks & notes
- Two-axis subdistrict system: Combined Use × Density designation (e.g., R1D-VL, RM-VH) creates 25 possible residential district combinations, making Pittsburgh one of the more complex residential systems nationally; not all combinations exist (e.g., R1D uses all 5 densities VL/L/M/H/VH; R1A uses only M/H/VH)
- Landslide-Prone Overlay (LS-O) covers substantial portion of city due to dramatic hillside topography; any site on or near slope should be assumed LS-O until confirmed otherwise
- Undermined Area (UM-O) legacy coal mining creates widespread subsurface voids; uncommon in most U.S. cities and is material constraint on hillside/valley development; requires engineering review before development
- Contextual setbacks as default alternative: Pittsburgh explicitly builds contextual setbacks and contextual building heights into code (§925.06, §925.07) as permissible alternatives to fixed base district standards; in established neighborhoods effective setback determined by surrounding context, not single table value; desktop setback analysis without block-level data may be unreliable
- Residential Compatibility Standards (Chapter 916): Non-residential development and higher-density residential (RM-M/H/VH) within 100 ft of lower-density residential subject to extensive height/setback/screening/operating hour/noise/lighting/odor standards; within 50 ft max 40 ft / 3 stories; within 51–100 ft max 50 ft / 4 stories; beyond 100 ft no cap
- Party wall zero setback: When dwelling attached to neighboring unit by party wall or abutting wall, interior sideyard setback on that side is zero; explicit provision enabling dense rowhouse and attached development patterns consistent with Pittsburgh's historic urban fabric
- Riverfront step-back requirement: Buildings in RIV district exceeding 65 ft must step back minimum 10 ft along façade parallel to river for any portion above 65 ft; additional step-back rules apply within 125 ft of Project Pool Elevation
- May 2025 minimum lot size amendment: City passed legislation modifying minimum lot size per unit requirements to remove artificial density caps and enable more multifamily development; online ecode360.com code may not yet reflect amendment; significant change — confirm with zoning staff or city legislation center before designing to existing online code values
Formulas
Definitions
- height
- Distance from finished grade to highest point of roof, measured in feet and stories; all residential districts limited to 40 ft / 3 stories maximum (§903, §916.02)
- lot_coverage
- Building footprint as decimal of total lot area
- du_per_acre
- Dwelling units per acre, derived from minimum lot size per unit
- density_axis_system
- Pittsburgh uses two-axis system: Use Subdistrict (housing type: R1D/R1A/R2/R3/RM) × Development Subdistrict (density: VL/L/M/H/VH) combined as e.g. R1D-L
- contextual_setbacks
- Setback may match adjacent lots on same block face or use base district standard, whichever is most restrictive (§925.06, §925.07)
- party_wall_zero_setback
- Interior sideyard setback = 0 when dwelling is attached to neighboring unit by party wall or abutting wall on that side (enables rowhouse/attached density)
- residential_compatibility_height
- Non-residential or higher-density residential within 100 ft of lower-density residential: within 50 ft max 40 ft / 3 stories; within 51–100 ft max 50 ft / 4 stories; beyond 100 ft no cap (§916)
Capacity calculations
- du_per_acre_from_lot_size
43560 / min_lot_sf_per_unit- lot_size_per_unit_from_du_ac
43560 / du_ac
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.
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— 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
- [1] §916.02
- [2] §916.02
- [3] i
- [4] §916.02
- [5] §916.02
- [6] i
- [7] §916.02
- [8] §916.02
- [9] §916.02
- [10] §916.02
- [11] §916.02
- [12] i
- [13] §916.02
- [14] §916.02
Research status
Data quality
52%completeness18 confirmed28 partial2 inferred
Documented gaps
- Full dimensional tables per density subdistrict not extracted from §903 (setback, lot coverage values for VL, L, M, H, VH by use type)
- Non-residential and mixed-use district height and dimensional standards not fully extracted
- Special Planned Districts (SP-1 through SP-8) site-specific standards not detailed
- Golden Triangle (GT) subdistricts (A/B/C/D) height and FAR limits not specified
- May 2025 lot size amendment text and specific modifications not incorporated — confirm with zoning staff
Known issues
schema:v1-legacypriority:lowdata:gaps-present
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