Overview
| residential_single_family | letter-code (SFR = Single Family Residential) |
|---|---|
| residential_multi_family | use-type-index (MF1-MF4 by intensity/density) |
| multi_family_special | letter-code (MFSA = Multi-Family Special Area — legacy, being transitioned to MF3/MF4) |
| commercial | letter-code (C, CL) |
| industrial | letter-code (I) |
| mixed_use | use-type-index (MX1, MX2, MX3 by intensity) |
| special | letter-code (S, P, UCD) |
Coral Gables employs a hybrid naming scheme. The 2020 Zoning Code Reorganization (Ordinance File #20-1442) transitioned I/CL/C and MFSA to MX1-MX3 and MF3-MF4, but legacy codes remain in the GIS layer. Mediterranean Architecture Standards (Section 5-200 ff.) function as a quasi-design-based overlay affecting all districts. The Board of Architects has regulatory authority over all exterior design — unique among US municipalities.
- Board of Architects (BOA): Coral Gables maintains a regulatory Board of Architects — a body with authority to deny building permits for designs deemed incompatible with Mediterranean/aesthetic standards. This board has operated since 1925 and is unique among US municipalities. BOA review is required for all new construction and exterior alterations, distinct from historic preservation review. Reference: Zoning Code Articles 5 and 14.
- Mediterranean Bonus program (§5-201): Density and FAR bonuses are available in MX districts for projects meeting Mediterranean design standards. Bonus Level 1 requires all Table 1 required standards; Bonus Level 2 adds 6 of 12 Table 2 qualifications. MF3 district receives only density bonus (+5 du/ac to 25 du/ac), not FAR/stories bonus. MX districts receive both FAR and height bonus.
- Transfer of Development Rights (TDRs): Coral Gables operates a TDR program per §14-204.6 linking historic preservation sending sites to receiving sites in downtown mixed-use areas. A 2023 project (4241 Aurora / Design & Innovation District) received TDRs to increase FAR from 3.5 to 4.375 (25% increase).
+ 5 more in Quirks & notes
Districts
| Code | Name | Category | Min lot | Height | Coverage | FAR | Du/ac | Parking | Setbacks F/S/R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFR | Single-Family Residential District | res_sf | —[4] | 25 ft[5] | —[6] | —[7] | —[8] | —[9] | —[1] / —[2] / —[3] |
| MF1 | Multi-Family 1 Duplex District | res_mf | —[13] | 30 ft[14] | —[15] | —[16] | 9[17] | —[18] | 25[10] / 15[11] / —[12] |
| MF2 | Multi-Family 2 District | res_mf | —[22] | 45 ft[23] | —[24] | —[25] | —[26] | —[27] | —[19] / —[20] / —[21] |
| MF3 | Multi-Family 3 District | res_mf | —[31] | 45 ft[32] | 70[33] | —[34] | 20[35] | —[36] | 10[28] / 10[29] / —[30] |
| MFSA | Multi-Family Special Area District | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| C | Commercial District | com | —[40] | —[41] | —[42] | —[43] | 125[44] | —[45] | 0[37] / —[38] / —[39] |
| CL | Commercial Limited District | com | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| I | Industrial District | ind | —[49] | —[50] | —[51] | 3.5[52] | -1[53] | —[54] | 0[46] / —[47] / —[48] |
| S | Special Use District | spec | —[58] | —[59] | —[60] | —[61] | —[62] | —[63] | —[55] / —[56] / —[57] |
| P | Preservation District | spec | —[67] | —[68] | —[69] | —[70] | 0[71] | —[72] | —[64] / —[65] / —[66] |
| UCD | University Campus District | spec | —[76] | —[77] | —[78] | —[79] | —[80] | —[81] | —[73] / —[74] / —[75] |
Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found
Overlays
Properties in the Coral Gables Register of Historic Places (local landmark designation) or within a locally designated historic district. Designation requires property ≥50 years old with architectural, historical, or cultural significance.
| certificate_of_appropriateness | Required for all exterior alterations to locally designated properties; Historic Preservation Board or staff review before building permit issuance |
|---|---|
| demolition_review | Required for demolition of any locally designated property; Demolition by neglect provisions enacted 2007 |
| hpb_variances | Historic Preservation Board may grant zoning variances to preserve architectural character of historic properties via Special Certificate of Appropriateness |
| ad_valorem_tax_incentive | 10-year freeze on value of approved improvements to locally designated properties; both Miami-Dade County and City portions |
| transfer_of_development_rights | TDR sending sites authorized for historic properties; receiving sites require CC approval per §14-204.6 |
| design_standard | Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation govern review |
| national_register | National Register nominations reviewed by Historic Preservation Board before forwarding to state and federal review |
| live_local_note | Live Local Act height entitlement: Mediterranean bonus not factored into the 1-mile height comparator calculation (Implementing Order IO-2026-002). Historic district does not eliminate Live Local applicability but modifies the height test radius to ¾ mile per SB 1730 (2025). |
Citywide — mandatory for all new construction and exterior alterations subject to Board of Architects review. Special location site plan review required for MF2, MF3, MF4, MX1, MX2, MX3 districts adjacent to or across public rights-of-way or waterways from SFR or MF1 District.
| board_of_architects | All new construction and exterior alterations require BOA approval — unique regulatory body with authority to deny designs inconsistent with Mediterranean/aesthetic standards |
|---|---|
| med_bonus_level_1_and_2 | Density and FAR bonuses for MX districts achieving Mediterranean design standards Table 1 (Required Standards) + 6 of 12 Table 2 qualifications per §5-201.B |
| med_bonus_not_in_mf3 | Mediterranean Bonus Level 1 and Level 2 FAR/stories do not apply to MF3 zoned properties; density bonus only (+5 du/ac to 25 du/ac) per §5-201 |
| required_standards_table1 | 12 required standards including: architectural elements on all facades; street-level relief; architectural elements at top of buildings; bicycle storage; facade breaks at 150-ft intervals; ground-level landscape open space; street lighting; parking garage treatments; no drive-throughs on Ponce de León/Miracle Mile/Alhambra Circle; sidewalks/main entrances facing street |
| live_local_bonus | Applicants may apply for Mediterranean Design bonus per §5-200 on Live Local Act qualifying projects (IO-2026-002) |
Properties within the Central Business District boundary as shown on the Official Zoning Map. CBD boundary from Zoning_Overlays GIS service (CGIT_GIS AGOL org).
| density | No density limitation in CBD per §2-200 |
|---|---|
| height | Building heights vary; ornamental roof structures on commercial buildings in CBD may not exceed one-third of allowable total building height (vs. 25 ft elsewhere) per §5-201 |
| open_space_incentive | 2023-2024 CBD Open Space Incentive Program allows additional height for publicly accessible ground-floor open space (City Commission consideration) |
| tdr_receiving | CBD parcels eligible as TDR receiving sites per §14-204.6 |
| parking | Payment-in-lieu and remote parking options available per §10-109; Miracle Mile drive-through prohibition |
Properties within the Downtown Overlay District boundary as shown in Zoning_Overlays GIS layer (CGIT_GIS). Distinct from and smaller than the CBD boundary.
| design_standards | Enhanced Mediterranean architectural and public realm standards; specific parameters not confirmed from available primary source |
|---|---|
| area | Approximately 198,729 sq ft (~4.6 acres) per GIS layer |
Properties within the North Ponce Conservation Overlay District boundary as shown in Zoning_Overlays GIS layer. Covers North Ponce de León Boulevard corridor.
| conservation | Conservation overlay protecting neighborhood character; specific parameters not confirmed from available primary source text |
|---|---|
| note | Two separate polygons in GIS (appears to cover both sides of corridor) |
Properties within the North Ponce Mixed-Use District boundary as shown in Zoning_Overlays GIS layer. Approximately 232,967 sq ft (~5.4 acres) per GIS.
| use | Mixed-use development — residential plus commercial/retail on ground floor |
|---|---|
| height | Not confirmed from available primary source |
| density | Not confirmed from available primary source |
Properties within the North Industrial Mixed-Use District boundary (~3.0 acres per GIS Zoning_Overlays layer).
| note | Former industrial area north of downtown; MXD overlay allows mixed-use development. Specific standards not confirmed from primary source. |
|---|
Properties within the South Industrial Mixed-Use District boundary (~2.4 acres per GIS Zoning_Overlays layer).
| note | Former industrial area south of downtown. MXD overlay allows mixed-use development. Specific standards not confirmed from primary source. |
|---|
Properties within the Gables Redevelopment Infill District boundary (~130 acres per GIS Zoning_Overlays layer — largest overlay in dataset).
| note | Infill redevelopment incentive overlay. Specific parameters not confirmed from available primary source text. |
|---|
Properties within Giralda Plaza (~0.4 acres per GIS layer). Giralda Avenue is a key pedestrian street in Coral Gables downtown.
| note | Giralda Plaza is a pedestrian-priority street overlay. Specific activation and design standards not confirmed from available primary source. |
|---|
Properties within FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA). Coral Gables has FEMA zones AE (BFE 13 ft NAVD), AH (BFE 15 ft), VE (BFE 17 ft — coastal high hazard), and X (minimal flood hazard). FEMA FIRM panel 12086C0458M referenced in Coral Gables Smart City Hub.
| fema_zones | AE, AH, VE (coastal high hazard), X (minimal hazard), OPEN WATER |
|---|---|
| zone_ae_bfe | BFE 13 ft NAVD88 per city FEMA flood zone service |
| zone_ah_bfe | BFE 15 ft per city FEMA flood zone service |
| zone_ve_bfe | BFE 17 ft — coastal velocity zone per city FEMA flood zone service |
| freeboard | Amendments to §2-101(b) (SFR) for freeboard and floodplain management considered Sept 2025; minimum freeboard requirements modify allowed finished floor heights in flood hazard areas |
| cccl_interaction | Coral Gables has coastal frontage on Biscayne Bay; CCCL applies to coastal construction seaward of DEP line per Fla. Stat. § 161.053 |
| fema_data_source | City of Coral Gables FEMA flood zone GIS service: services1.arcgis.com/ug7Y0GY6kYE0tf0p/arcgis/rest/services/FEMAFloodZone_Clip_Merged_Gables/FeatureServer/0 (updated Nov 2024 per EditDate timestamps) |
Properties within FAA Part 77 airspace surfaces for Miami International Airport (4.7 miles NE) and/or Miami Executive Airport (Opa-locka). Height-sensitive projects may require FAA 7460 notification.
| mia_distance | Miami International Airport approximately 4.7 miles northeast of Coral Gables centroid |
|---|---|
| part77_surfaces | Transitional, horizontal, and conical surfaces from MIA may restrict heights in northern Coral Gables; specific overlay not confirmed from city GIS |
| faa_7460_notification | Projects exceeding 200 ft AGL or within airport protection zones require FAA Form 7460-1 notification |
| not_in_aicuz | No military AICUZ overlay present — Coral Gables is not adjacent to active military airfield |
State preemptions
Adopted building codes
Statewide — FL Building Code 7th ed
Click a code label to open its state-by-state adoption atlas.
Amendment history
| Date | Kind | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-02 | retrieved at | Municode library.municode.com/fl/coral_gables/codes/zoning_code; page accessed 2026-06-02 |
Quirks & notes
- Board of Architects (BOA): Coral Gables maintains a regulatory Board of Architects — a body with authority to deny building permits for designs deemed incompatible with Mediterranean/aesthetic standards. This board has operated since 1925 and is unique among US municipalities. BOA review is required for all new construction and exterior alterations, distinct from historic preservation review. Reference: Zoning Code Articles 5 and 14.
- Mediterranean Bonus program (§5-201): Density and FAR bonuses are available in MX districts for projects meeting Mediterranean design standards. Bonus Level 1 requires all Table 1 required standards; Bonus Level 2 adds 6 of 12 Table 2 qualifications. MF3 district receives only density bonus (+5 du/ac to 25 du/ac), not FAR/stories bonus. MX districts receive both FAR and height bonus.
- Transfer of Development Rights (TDRs): Coral Gables operates a TDR program per §14-204.6 linking historic preservation sending sites to receiving sites in downtown mixed-use areas. A 2023 project (4241 Aurora / Design & Innovation District) received TDRs to increase FAR from 3.5 to 4.375 (25% increase).
- 2020 Zoning Code Reorganization (Ordinance File #20-1442): The city transitioned I/CL/C/MFSA districts to MX1/MX2/MX3 and MF3/MF4 districts. Legacy district labels (I, CL, C, MFSA) still appear in the CG_Zoning GIS layer as of June 2026 and require cross-reference to understand current regulations.
- University Campus District (UCD): University of Miami campus has its own zoning district established by Ordinance No. 2010-34 (Section 4-202), with Campus Buffer, Transition, Core, University Village, and Multi-Use Zone subareas. Standards are campus-plan-based.
- GIS note: The correct Coral Gables zoning GIS endpoint is https://services1.arcgis.com/ug7Y0GY6kYE0tf0p/arcgis/rest/services/CG_Zoning/FeatureServer/0 (CGIT_GIS AGOL org). The issue-provided URL gis.miami.gov serves City of Miami, not Coral Gables, and was correctly rejected. Centroid gate: sample vertex lat=25.7714, lon=-80.2550 is within 0.09° of Coral Gables centroid (25.683, -80.262).
- Live Local Act implementation: Coral Gables issued Implementing Order IO-2026-002 (effective 7/1/25) clarifying that trigger requires Mixed-Use zoning (city interprets activity-allowed test), ≥40% affordable at ≤120% AMI, ≥65% residential square footage. Mediterranean bonus not counted in height comparator. Preempted elements: use, density, FAR, building height, and applicable parking reduction. All other zoning code requirements (setbacks, open space, minimum unit size) remain applicable. BOA design review still required.
- FEMA Flood Zone coverage: Coral Gables has multiple flood zones including coastal VE zone (BFE 17 ft), AH (BFE 15 ft), and AE (BFE 13 ft) in addition to X (minimal hazard) areas. The Sept 2025 proposed amendment to §2-101(b) for SFR freeboard/floodplain standards reflects active code evolution on flood management.
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] §2-101-Appendix-A
- [2] §2-101
- [3] §2-101
- [4] §2-101
- [5] §2-101(b)
- [6] §2-101
- [7] §2-101
- [8] n§2-101
- [9] §10-109
- [10] §2-201
- [11] §2-201
- [12] §2-201
- [13] §2-201
- [14] §2-201
- [15] §2-201
- [16] §2-201
- [17] §2-201
- [18] §10-109
- [19] §2-201
- [20] §2-201
- [21] §2-201
- [22] §2-201
- [23] §5-201
- [24] §2-201
- [25] §2-201
- [26] §2-201
- [27] §10-109
- [28] §2-201
- [29] §2-201
- [30] §2-201
- [31] §2-201
- [32] §2-201
- [33] §2-201
- [34] n§2-201
- [35] §2-201
- [36] §10-109
- [37] §2-300
- [38] §2-300
- [39] §2-300
- [40] §2-300
- [41] §2-300
- [42] §2-300
- [43] §2-300
- [44] §2-200
- [45] §10-109
- [46] §2-200
- [47] §2-400
- [48] §2-400
- [49] §2-400
- [50] §2-400
- [51] §2-400
- [52] §2-200
- [53] §2-200
- [54] §10-109
- [55] §2-600
- [56] §2-600
- [57] §2-600
- [58] §2-600
- [59] §2-600
- [60] §2-600
- [61] §2-600
- [62] §2-600
- [63] §10-109
- [64] n
- [65] n
- [66] n
- [67] n
- [68] n
- [69] n
- [70] n
- [71] n
- [72] n
- [73] §4-202
- [74] §4-202
- [75] §4-202
- [76] §4-202
- [77] §4-202
- [78] §4-202
- [79] §4-202
- [80] §4-202
- [81] §4-202
Research status
Publication gates
| primary url present | passed | source.primary_url = https://library.municode.com/fl/coral_gables/codes/zoning_code — HTTPS, not an aggregator domain |
|---|---|---|
| no aggregator cited | passed | scan clean — no zoneomics, steadily, siteplanguide, propwire, zonara, unzoned references in record |
| confidence tags full form | passed | All confirmed fields carry §-citations (§2-101, §2-201, §5-201, §8-101, §113-2, §166.04151(7), §509.032(7), etc.). Partial fields carry retrieval_failure_reason or reason. 14 confirmed fields, 3 inferred, 38 partial. |
| overlays have parameters trigger confidence | passed | All 12 overlays have non-empty params, geographic_trigger, status, and confidence codes. Confidence codes: 6 confirmed (c§), 6 partial (p). Trigger values are all non-null prose strings. |
| preempt section city specific | passed | 7 state preemption laws documented with city-specific qualifying_condition_checked: Live Local Act (IO-2026-002 specific implementation), STR (§509.032(7)), Tree removal (§163.045), FBC (§553.73), Group homes (§419.001), Bert Harris (§70.001), CCCL (§161.053), post-storm SB 180. All apply=true with numeric/factual conditions checked. |
Data quality
- MF2 dimensional standards (height, lot coverage, du/ac, setbacks) — not accessible from available primary sources due to Municode SPA blocking
- MF3/MF4 rear setback, base height in MF2 — not found in available staff reports
- C/CL/I base district §-citations for FAR/height/setbacks — code reorganization PDFs not accessible
- UCD subarea dimensional standards (§4-202) — Ordinance 2010-34 content not accessible
- MFSA specific historic standards — legacy district being transitioned
- North/South Industrial MXD and North Ponce MXD specific dimensional standards
- Gables Redevelopment Infill District specific parameters
- Exact FEMA FIRM panel effective date for Miami-Dade / Coral Gables
Other cities in this state
Nearest-alphabetical profiles. Click through to compare zoning patterns side-by-side.