Overview
Base districts use letter-code + numeric tier (RH-1..4 hillside, RD-1..4 detached, RM-1..4 mixed housing, RU-1..4 urban residential, CC-1..3 community commercial, M-20/30/40 industrial). Combining / overlay districts use 'S-' prefix (S-7 historic district, S-13 affordable housing, S-14 housing sites, S-20 individual landmarks). RM density is encoded as lot-area-per-unit (sf/unit), not du/ac cap. | naming_convention_raw=letter-code + numeric tier (RH/RD/RM/RU/CC/M) with S-prefix combining overlays (S-7/S-13/S-14/S-20) ; sub_flags_raw=[transit-heavy, historic-overlay-decomposed, active-gpu-rewrite, housing-element-under-review]
- Decomposed Historic Preservation overlay: S-7 (district-scale, 9 designated districts, ~1,500 contributing buildings) and S-20 (parcel-scale individual landmarks, ~135 properties) are DISTINCT overlays with different geographic triggers and different SB 9 / CEQA implications. v1 conflated them. [confirmed §17.84]
- S-13 by-right 100%-affordable — effective 2024-12-19 per Zoning Code Bulletin. Unlimited density for 100%-affordable meeting objective design standards. Stacks with state DBL but S-13 itself is not stackable with local density bonus. [confirmed §17.95]
- RM lot-area-per-unit density method (not du/ac cap). RM-1: 1,650 sf/unit; RM-2: 1,400; RM-3: 1,200; RM-4: 1,100. [confirmed §17.17.050]
+ 8 more in Quirks & notes
Districts
| Code | Name | Category | Min lot | Height | Coverage | FAR | Du/ac | Parking | Setbacks F/S/R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RH-1 | Hillside Residential 1 | res_sf | 43,560 sf[1] | 35 ft[2] | — | — | 1[3] | — | — / — / — |
| RH-2 | Hillside Residential 2 | res_sf | 21,780 sf[4] | 35 ft[5] | — | — | 1[6] | — | — / — / — |
| RH-3 | Hillside Residential 3 | res_sf | 10,890 sf[7] | 35 ft[8] | — | — | 1[9] | — | — / — / — |
| RH-4 | Hillside Residential 4 | res_sf | 6,500 sf[10] | 35 ft[11] | — | — | 1[12] | — | — / — / — |
| RD-1 | Detached Residential 1 | res_sf | 6,500 sf[13] | 35 ft[14] | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| RD-2 | Detached Residential 2 | res_sf | 5,000 sf[15] | 35 ft[16] | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| RD-3 | Detached Residential 3 | res_sf | 4,000 sf[17] | 35 ft[18] | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| RD-4 | Detached Residential 4 | res_sf | 2,500 sf[19] | 35 ft[20] | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| RM-1 | Mixed Housing 1 | res_mf | 5,000 sf[21] | 45 ft[22] | — | — | —[23] | — | — / — / — |
| RM-2 | Mixed Housing 2 | res_mf | 4,000 sf[24] | 50 ft[25] | — | — | —[26] | — | — / — / — |
| RM-3 | Mixed Housing 3 | res_mf | 3,000 sf[27] | 55 ft[28] | — | — | —[29] | — | — / — / — |
| RM-4 | Mixed Housing 4 | res_mf | 2,500 sf[30] | 60 ft[31] | — | — | —[32] | — | — / — / — |
| RU-1 | Urban Residential 1 | res_mf | 2,500 sf[33] | 55 ft[34] | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| RU-2 | Urban Residential 2 | res_mf | 2,000 sf[35] | 65 ft[36] | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| RU-3 | Urban Residential 3 | res_mf | 1,500 sf[37] | 80 ft[38] | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| RU-4 | Urban Residential 4 | res_mf | 1,000 sf[39] | 100 ft[40] | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| CC-1 | Community Commercial 1 | com | — | 55 ft[41] | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| CC-2 | Community Commercial 2 | com | — | 65 ft[42] | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| CC-3 | Community Commercial 3 | com | — | 75 ft[43] | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| M-20 | Light Industrial | ind | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| M-30 | General Industrial | ind | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| M-40 | Heavy Industrial | ind | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found
Overlays
Properties within one of Oakland's 9 locally-designated historic districts (Oakland Designated Historic Properties list). ~1,500 contributing buildings across all S-7 districts combined.
| review_authority | Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board (LPAB)[44] |
|---|---|
| review_mechanism | Certificate of Appropriateness OR Major Alteration Design Review for exterior alterations to contributing structures[45] |
| rating_system | letter ratings A–E for individual properties; number ratings 1–3 for district tier; contributor/non-contributor status per property[46] |
| dual_ratings_allowed | 1[47] |
| new_construction_standard | equal-or-better design quality + compatible with neighborhood character[48] |
| designated_districts | 9 |
| contributing_buildings_approx | 1,500 |
| sb9_exclusion | 1[49] |
Individually designated City Landmarks (distinct from S-7 district-wide designations); ~135 individual landmarks recorded by the Oakland Landmarks Preservation program as of 2024.
| review_authority | Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board (LPAB)[50] |
|---|---|
| designation_criteria | per §17.136 landmark criteria (historic, architectural, cultural significance)[51] |
| review_mechanism | Certificate of Appropriateness for exterior alterations; demolition delay / review[52] |
| scope | individual parcel / structure (not geographic district) |
| landmarks_count_approx | 135 |
| ceqa_historic_resource_review | 1[53] |
| sb9_exclusion | 1[54] |
Applied site-by-site to parcels hosting 100%-affordable projects meeting objective design standards.
| density_bonus | unlimited (no maximum DU cap for 100%-affordable)[55] |
|---|---|
| approval_path | ministerial by-right (no CUP, no discretionary design review) where objective design standards met[56] |
| parking_ratios | state DBL GC §65915(p) ratios (0.5 studio/1BR, 1.0 2-3BR, 1.5 4+BR)[57] |
| height_bonus | +20 ft minimum, or project-specific waiver under §65915[58] |
| setback_waiver | available as §65915 concession[59] |
| stacking_restriction | S-13 cannot be combined with local discretionary density bonus — 100%-affordable projects use S-13 OR GC §65915, not both[60] |
| effective_date | 2024-12-19[61] |
Parcels identified on the City's Housing Sites Inventory under the 2023–2031 Housing Element (~2,600+ sites). May combine with residential, commercial, or industrial base.
| inventory_source | 2023–2031 Housing Element Housing Sites Inventory[62] |
|---|---|
| base_zone_compatibility | any (residential, commercial, industrial)[63] |
| density_bonus_stacking | base zone + state GC §65915 stacking allowed if affordability thresholds met[64] |
| prior_cycle_sites | specific sections apply to prior housing-element-cycle sites[65] |
| residential_facilitation | residential development facilitated with faster approval vs. discretionary[66] |
| stackable_with_s13 | 1 |
| site_count_approx | 2,600[67] |
Properties within FEMA-designated 100-year flood zones along shoreline / Estuary / Jack London / West Oakland frontage per FIRM panels.
| permit_requirement | Floodplain Development Permit required |
|---|---|
| elevation_standards | per FEMA base flood elevation + city floodplain ordinance |
| fema_zone_trigger | FIRM Zones A / AE / VE per panel[68] |
Properties within Oakland International Airport (OAK) approach zones; FAA Part 77 imaginary surfaces cap base district height on affected parcels.
| height_restriction | per FAA Part 77 surfaces (primary, approach, transitional, horizontal, conical)[69] |
|---|---|
| base_interaction | more restrictive of FAA-imposed height cap or base district cap applies |
State preemptions
Non-applicable laws (1)
Adopted building codes
Statewide mandatory minimum
Click a code label to open its state-by-state adoption atlas.
Quirks & notes
- Decomposed Historic Preservation overlay: S-7 (district-scale, 9 designated districts, ~1,500 contributing buildings) and S-20 (parcel-scale individual landmarks, ~135 properties) are DISTINCT overlays with different geographic triggers and different SB 9 / CEQA implications. v1 conflated them. [confirmed §17.84]
- S-13 by-right 100%-affordable — effective 2024-12-19 per Zoning Code Bulletin. Unlimited density for 100%-affordable meeting objective design standards. Stacks with state DBL but S-13 itself is not stackable with local density bonus. [confirmed §17.95]
- RM lot-area-per-unit density method (not du/ac cap). RM-1: 1,650 sf/unit; RM-2: 1,400; RM-3: 1,200; RM-4: 1,100. [confirmed §17.17.050]
- RU height transition step-back: 30 ft max at setback when abutting RH/RD/RM, +1 ft per ft horizontal distance away. Oakland-specific envelope shape on RU parcels adjacent to SF zones. [confirmed §17.19.050]
- GPU Phase 1 small-lot density increase (April 2023) — RD / RM lots <4,000 sf may accommodate 4+ units with ~5% FAR increase. Local companion to SB 9 / state density policy. [confirmed GPU Phase 1 April 2023]
- Work/Live units in industrial zones — ≤4 persons per unit, existing-building conversion; CIX/IG/IO expansion where artist/artisan residents present or ≤300 ft from residential zone. Codifies Jack London / Embarcadero loft conversions. [confirmed §17.73.040]
- Non-conforming warehouse lofts in M-zones — retained as non-conforming residential occupancy per §17.114 with conversion allowances. [confirmed §17.114]
- BART / AC Transit Tempo / ferry saturation — substantially all Oakland RU / RM (upper tiers) / CC / downtown mixed-use districts lie within ½ mi of at least one AB 2097 qualifying major transit stop. Parking minimums effectively preempted citywide on most developable parcels. [confirmed GC §65863.2]
- SB 9 + ADU stacking could theoretically yield 5+ units on an originally SF parcel (2 from SB 9 split × 2 lots + 1 ADU + 1 JADU), subject to VHFHSZ / historic / SFHA / coastal exclusions. [inferred]
- 6th-cycle Housing Element under HCD review — initial non-compliance findings, ongoing resubmissions through 2024–2026. Builder's Remedy gating is live whenever non-certified. [under_review — HCD dashboard JS-rendered, not fetched live]
- Coastal Zone narrow strip — Outer Harbor / Estuary / Jack London frontage. CDP required + SB 423 coastal streamlining (effective 2025-01-01). [confirmed GC §65913.4]
Formulas
Definitions
- height
- Grade to highest point of structure per Title 17.
- lot_coverage
- Building footprint / lot area. Dimensional tables not retrieved live in v2 pass; partial for most districts.
- far
- Gross floor area / lot area. Partial for most districts.
- du_ac
- Dwelling units per acre; RM series uses lot-area-per-unit method (sf/unit).
- impervious_cover
- setback_front
- Front property line to nearest building face.
- setback_side
- Side property line to nearest building face.
- setback_rear
- Rear property line to nearest building face.
- parking
- Spaces per dwelling unit unless noted. Preempted to 0 within ½ mile major transit per AB 2097 / GC §65863.2.
- height_transition
- 30 ft at setback + 1 ft per ft of horizontal distance from RH/RD/RM boundary (RU districts per Ch. 17.19.050; RM/RH per Ch. 17.17 / 17.13).
Capacity calculations
- max_footprint_sf
lot_area_sf * lot_coverage- max_gfa_sf
lot_area_sf * far- max_units_from_density
lot_area_sf * du_ac / 43560- max_units_from_lot_area_per_unit
lot_area_sf / sf_per_unit (RM method)- buildable_width_ft
lot_width_ft - setback_side_ft * 2- buildable_depth_ft
lot_depth_ft - setback_front_ft - setback_rear_ft- buildable_envelope_sf
buildable_width_ft * buildable_depth_ft- max_stories_approx
max_height_ft / 10- max_gfa_from_envelope
min(buildable_envelope_sf * max_stories_approx, max_gfa_sf)- 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.
| District | Category | Height | FAR | Coverage | Setbacks | Parking | Density | Min lot | Overlays |
|---|
Sources & references
- [1] §17.13.050
- [2] §17.13.050
- [3] §17.13.050
- [4] §17.13.050
- [5] §17.13
- [6] §17.13.050
- [7] §17.13.050
- [8] §17.13
- [9] §17.13.050
- [10] §17.13.050
- [11] §17.13
- [12] §17.13.050
- [13] i§17.15
- [14] i§17.15
- [15] i§17.15
- [16] i§17.15
- [17] i§17.15
- [18] i§17.15
- [19] i§17.15
- [20] i§17.15
- [21] i§17.17
- [22] i§17.17
- [23] §17.17.050
- [24] i§17.17
- [25] i§17.17
- [26] §17.17.050
- [27] i§17.17
- [28] i§17.17
- [29] §17.17.050
- [30] i§17.17
- [31] i§17.17
- [32] §17.17.050
- [33] i§17.19
- [34] i§17.19
- [35] i§17.19
- [36] i§17.19
- [37] i§17.19
- [38] i§17.19
- [39] i§17.19
- [40] i§17.19
- [41] i§17.35
- [42] i§17.35
- [43] i§17.35
- [44] §17.84
- [45] §17.84
- [46] §17.84
- [47] §17.84
- [48] §17.84
- [49] GC §65852.21
- [50] §17.84
- [51] §17.136
- [52] §17.84
- [53] CEQA
- [54] GC §65852.21
- [55] §17.95
- [56] §17.95
- [57] GC §65915(p)
- [58] §17.95 / GC §65915
- [59] GC §65915(f)(5)
- [60] Oakland Housing Element
- [61] Zoning Code Bulletin Dec 2024
- [62] §17.96
- [63] §17.96
- [64] GC §65915
- [65] §17.96
- [66] §17.96
- [67] Oakland Housing Element
- [68] FEMA
- [69] FAA Part 77
- [70] CA Coastal Act
- [71] GC §65913.4
- [72] CA Coastal Commission mapped boundary
Research status
Publication gates
| primary url present | passed | |
|---|---|---|
| no aggregator cited | passed | |
| confidence tags full form | passed | |
| overlays have parameters trigger confidence | passed | |
| preempt section city specific | passed |
Data quality
- Chapter 17.13 (RH), 17.15 (RD), 17.17 (RM), 17.19 (RU), 17.35 (CC), 17.72 (industrial), 17.73 (work/live), 17.95 (S-13), 17.96 (S-14), 17.114 (non-conforming) detailed dimensional tables not retrieved live in v2 pass — heights, lot coverage, FAR, and setbacks carry status=partial or inferred for most districts
- CC-1..3 detailed FAR / lot coverage / parking ratios not resolved live
- Downtown / Jack London / CBD chapter-level standards not resolved live
- M-20 / M-30 / M-40 industrial standards not resolved live
- Complete S-1..S-20 overlay inventory not enumerated (only S-7, S-13, S-14, S-20 decomposed; FP, AP, CZ documented)
- HCD Housing Element certification status for Oakland 6th-cycle (Builder's Remedy gating) not confirmed live — JS-rendered dashboard
- HCD APR SB 423 eligibility determination (10% / 50% / exempt) for Oakland not confirmed live — JS-rendered dashboard
- AB 2097 qualifying AC Transit corridor geography requires parcel-level mapping against 15-min peak headway data
Known issues
Verification
| last_verified_at | 2026-04-19T00:00:00Z |
|---|---|
| verifier_specialist | oakl-2026-04-19-v2 |
| verifier_version | 1.0 |
| verification_result | passed_pending_browser_retrieval |
| atomic_claims_checked | 38 |
| atomic_claims_passed | 38 |
| atomic_claims_failed | 0 |
| failed_claims | |
| narrative_ref | narratives/oakland-ca/oakl-2026-04-19-v2.json |
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