Zoning › Michigan › Wayne County › Detroit

Detroit, MI Zoning

Euclidean-zoning. 29 districts · 9 overlays · 5 applicable state preemptions.

Overview

Code type
euclidean
Naming convention
mixed
Naming convention by category
residentialR1-R6 (R1=lowest-density SF, R6=highest-density MF + CBD-adjacent)
businessB1-B6 (B1=restricted/transition, B5=Central Business / regional office, B6=general services / wholesaling)
industrialM1-M5 (M1=limited along thoroughfares, M5=Special — hazardous-waste-eligible)
special_developmentSD1-SD5 (SD1=small-scale mixed-use, SD4=Riverfront mixed-use, SD5=Casinos)
transitional_industrialTM
waterfrontW1
parkingP1
public_centerPC (Public Center), PCA (Public Center Adjacent / Restricted CBD)
parksPR (Parks and Recreation)
planned_developmentPD (floats by Master Plan use category)

Euclidean code with substantial overlay layering and PD/SD discretionary tracks. Inverse-naming quirk: R5 'Medium Density' permits SF-detached through medium-density MF (it's the most use-permissive R district), while R6 'High Density' excludes SF/2F by-right despite higher absolute density. Article XIII tables are use-row not district-row — a single district carries multiple lot-size minimums depending on which use is built. | naming_convention_raw=letter-number-encoded ; sub_flags_raw=[legacy-rustbelt, overlay-heavy, neighborhood-stabilization]

Worth knowing
  • Article XIII tables are use-row, not district-row — a single R district carries different lot sizes, FARs, and height treatments depending on which use is being built. Single dimensional value per district is misleading.
  • Inverse-density naming: R5 'Medium Density' permits the widest range of uses (SF through medium MFD) while R6 'High Density' excludes SF/2F by-right (conditional only).
  • Side-yard regulation uses two formulas: Formula A = (Length + 2*Height)/15 for lower-intensity rows; Formula B = (Length + 2*Height)/6 for non-residential and high-intensity rows. Single-/two-family use a flat 4 ft minimum + 14 ft combined.

+ 6 more in Quirks & notes

Districts

ind 7spec 6com 5res_mf 4mu 3res_sf 2cbd 2
CodeNameCategory Min lotHeight CoverageFAR Du/acParking Setbacks F/S/R
R1R1 Single-Family Residentialres_sf5,000 sf[4]35 ft[5]—[6]—[7]——[8]20[1] / 4[2] / 30[3]
R2R2 Two-Family Residentialres_sf5,000 sf[12]35 ft[13]—[14]—[15]——[16]20[9] / 4[10] / 30[11]
R3R3 Low Density Residentialres_mf5,000 sf[20]35 ft[21]—[22]—[23]——[24]20[17] / 4[18] / 30[19]
R4R4 Thoroughfare Residentialres_mf6,000 sf[28]35 ft[29]—[30]—[31]——[32]20[25] / 4[26] / 30[27]
R5R5 Medium Density Residentialres_mf5,000 sf[36]35 ft[37]—[38]1.5[39]——[40]20[33] / 4[34] / 30[35]
R6R6 High Density Residentialres_mf7,000 sf[44]—[45]—[46]2[47]——[48]20[41] / —[42] / 30[43]
B1B1 Restricted Businesscom—[52]—[53]—[54]—[55]——[56]—[49] / —[50] / —[51]
B2B2 Local Business and Residentialcom—[60]—[61]—[62]—[63]——[64]—[57] / —[58] / —[59]
B3B3 Shoppingcom—[68]—[69]—[70]—[71]——[72]—[65] / —[66] / —[67]
B4B4 General Businesscom—[76]—[77]—[78]—[79]——[80]—[73] / —[74] / —[75]
B5B5 Major Businesscbd—[84]—[85]—[86]—[87]——[88]—[81] / —[82] / —[83]
B6B6 General Servicescom—[92]—[93]—[94]—[95]——[96]—[89] / —[90] / —[91]
M1M1 Limited Industrialind—[100]—[101]—[102]—[103]——[104]—[97] / —[98] / —[99]
M2M2 Restricted Industrialind—[108]—[109]—[110]—[111]——[112]—[105] / —[106] / —[107]
M3M3 General Industrialind—[116]—[117]—[118]—[119]——[120]—[113] / —[114] / —[115]
M4M4 Intensive Industrialind—[124]—[125]—[126]—[127]——[128]—[121] / —[122] / —[123]
M5M5 Special Industrialind—[132]—[133]—[134]—[135]——[136]—[129] / —[130] / —[131]
PDPD Planned Developmentspec—[140]—[141]—[142]—[143]——[144]—[137] / —[138] / —[139]
P1P1 Open Parkingspec—[148]—[149]—[150]—[151]——[152]—[145] / —[146] / —[147]
PCPC Public Centerspec—[156]—[157]—[158]—[159]——[160]—[153] / —[154] / —[155]
PCAPCA Public Center Adjacent (Restricted CBD)cbd—[164]—[165]—[166]—[167]——[168]—[161] / —[162] / —[163]
TMTM Transitional-Industrialind—[172]—[173]—[174]—[175]——[176]—[169] / —[170] / —[171]
PRPR Parks and Recreationspec—[180]—[181]—[182]—[183]——[184]—[177] / —[178] / —[179]
W1W1 Waterfront-Industrialind—[188]—[189]—[190]—[191]——[192]—[185] / —[186] / —[187]
SD1SD1 Special Development District — Small-Scale Mixed-Usemu—[196]—[197]—[198]—[199]——[200]—[193] / —[194] / —[195]
SD2SD2 Special Development District — Mixed-Usemu—[204]—[205]—[206]—[207]——[208]—[201] / —[202] / —[203]
SD3SD3 Special Development District — Technology and Researchspec—[212]—[213]—[214]—[215]——[216]—[209] / —[210] / —[211]
SD4SD4 Special Development District — Riverfront Mixed-Usemu—[220]—[221]—[222]—[223]——[224]—[217] / —[218] / —[219]
SD5SD5 Special Development District — Casinosspec—[228]—[229]—[230]—[231]——[232]—[225] / —[226] / —[227]

Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found

Overlays

GRT
Gateway Radial Thoroughfare Overlay Areas
COR
c§61-11-XX (Detroit Zoning Ordinance Overlay Areas subdivision)

Property abutting designated major radial streets within and leading to the Central Business District where the Master Plan of Policies has generally proposed rezoning from B4 General Business to a Special Development zoning district.

applicable_zone_classesB4; SD
use_focustransition major-radial commercial frontages from highway-strip to walkable mixed-use
dimensional_parametersnot_captured — overlay-specific intensity standards live in Sec. 61-14 and per-overlay subdivisions; not extracted in this v2 pass
review_trackCity Planning Commission + Planning and Development Department recommendation
TMS
Traditional Main Street Overlay Areas
COR
c§61-11-312 (designated areas list); c§61-14-281 through 61-14-300 (development standards)

Commercial areas designated by Detroit City Council as having high-quality pedestrian-scale walkable character or potential. Affects setback rules — buildings on lots abutting a Traditional Main Street use overlay setbacks per Sec. 61-14-282 in lieu of base R-district setbacks.

applies_to_zonesR1; R2; R3; R4; R5; R6; B-districts
ground_floor_treatmentpedestrian-scale; street-level pedestrian-generating uses required
setback_modificationsupersedes base R-district setback table per c§61-14-282
pedestrian_standardsadditional development standards in Sec. 61-14-281 through 61-14-300
dimensional_specificsnot_captured — full §61-14-281 to §61-14-300 text not extracted in this v2 pass
MCO
Major Corridor Overlay Areas
COR
c§61-11-XX (Overlay Areas subdivision)

Designated wide major thoroughfares, typically zoned B4, passing through neighborhoods undertaking commercial revitalization, or shared multi-jurisdictional corridors with neighboring cities/townships.

applies_to_zonesB4
review_trackmore detailed development review by City Planning Commission
design_focuscharacter and design important to attract additional development and aesthetic improvement
dimensional_parametersnot_captured — corridor-specific standards not extracted
GBO
Grand Boulevard Overlay Area
COR
c§61-11-XX (Overlay Areas subdivision)

Geographic — all zoning lots abutting or bounded by East Grand Boulevard, the Detroit River, and West Grand Boulevard.

geographic_definitionEast Grand Blvd + Detroit River + West Grand Blvd bounding ring
design_intentpreserve and reinforce boulevard character
dimensional_parametersnot_captured
DRO
Downtown and Riverfront Overlay Areas
DT
c§61-11-XX (Overlay Areas subdivision)

Geographic — Downtown core and Riverfront frontages; specific boundaries on the official Zoning Map.

applies_to_zonesB5; SD4; R6
intenthigh-intensity mixed-use development consistent with Master Plan riverfront/downtown designations
dimensional_parametersnot_captured — text marked as not detailed in the District Classifications document
FEO
Far Eastside Overlay Area
SPD
c§61-11-382 (boundaries); ARTICLE XIII Far Eastside provisions (in lieu of ARTICLE XIII DIVISION 3 Alternative Residential Development Options)

Designated broad area roughly bounded by East Warren Avenue, Alter Road / Grosse Pointe Park city limits, East Jefferson Avenue, and Conner Avenue — characterized by high concentration of vacant lots ripe for infill housing.

geographic_boundaryE Warren Ave / Alter Rd (Grosse Pointe Park city limit) / E Jefferson Ave / Conner Ave
use_focusinfill housing — reestablishment of dwellings similar in placement, character, massing to original lots
intensity_modificationallows greater density than citywide standard ARTICLE XIII rules permit
displacement_ruleapplies in lieu of ARTICLE XIII DIVISION 3 Alternative Residential Development Options
expansion_mechanismPlanning and Development Department may identify additional contiguous neighborhoods for inclusion; boundary expansion requires Chapter amendment
dimensional_parametersnot_captured — specific intensity numbers in §61-11-380s not extracted in this v2 pass
HD
Historic / Historic District
HP
Detroit City Code Chapter 21 (Historic Districts) + MCL 399.201 et seq. (Local Historic Districts Act, 1970 PA 169); §61-3-XX in Chapter 50 historic-overlay subsections

Designated by Detroit City Council as a Local Historic District following Historic Designation Advisory Board study and Council ordinance per the Local Historic Districts Act.

review_authorityDetroit Historic District Commission
review_artifactCertificate of Appropriateness required for exterior alterations and demolition
applies_to_zonesany underlying district
design_standardsrehabilitation must follow Secretary of Interior's Standards + district-specific design guidelines
demolition_reviewdemolition by neglect prosecutable; replacement requires HDC approval
FH
Flood Hazard
FP
Detroit City Code Chapter 14 / Chapter 50 floodplain provisions; FEMA NFIP framework via MCL 324.31501 et seq.

Property within FEMA-mapped Special Flood Hazard Area (1% annual chance / 100-year floodplain) per Detroit FIRM panels (most recent FEMA effective date 2024-10-30 per Wayne County map revision schedule).

fema_referenceFEMA FIRM panels for Wayne County / Detroit (Community-Panel 260219, multiple effective dates)
bfe_complianceBase Flood Elevation + freeboard required for new construction / substantial improvement
substantial_improvement_threshold50% of pre-improvement market value (NFIP standard)
fill_excavation_reviewpermit + no-rise certification required for fill in floodway
buyout_eligibilityFEMA HMGP and Pre-Disaster Mitigation funds intermittently applied to chronic-flood Detroit blocks
freeboard_incrementnot_captured — Detroit-specific freeboard inches above BFE not extracted
MKT
Eastern Market Overlay / Market & Distribution
SPD
c§61-11-XX (overlay) + Sec. 61-9 / 61-10 base district provisions for MKT-designated parcels

Geographic — Eastern Market historic wholesale food and produce distribution district plus surrounding mixed-use areas; designated on the official Zoning Map.

applicable_zone_classesMKT-base; B-overlay
use_focusfood / produce / wholesale distribution + complementary retail and residential
loading_provisionsexpanded loading allowance for distribution operations
live_work_provisionsloft-conversion + live-work permitted in legacy industrial buildings
design_standardscompatible with historic market character; reviewed by CPC
dimensional_parametersnot_captured — specific MKT dimensional cap not extracted

State preemptions

MI-MZEA-125-3205-IZ-banapplies
Qualifying condition
Detroit operates Community Benefits Ordinance (Detroit City Code §14-12 et seq., approved via 2016 Prop A) on Tier 1 developments. Per state preemptions.json city_specific_overrides for mi-mcl-125-3205-iz-ban: Detroit's CBO is styled as a development-agreement / negotiated-affordability regime rather than a zoning condition, so it operates OUTSIDE the MZEA §3205 prohibition framework and has not been successfully challenged on §3205 grounds. Detroit also runs incentive-based (non-mandatory) affordability inside Chapter 50.
Effect
Detroit may NOT condition zoning approvals (site plan, PUD, conditional use, rezoning) on below-market unit set-asides as a zoning requirement. Detroit MAY continue to operate CBO negotiation, PILOT/MSHDA/LIHTC contract-based affordability, TIF/Brownfield/NEZ negotiated affordability, and incentive-based density/FAR bonuses tied to voluntary affordability.
MI-MZEA-125-3207-moratoriaapplies
Qualifying condition
All MI local units exercising zoning under the MZEA are subject to §3207 moratorium duration caps. Detroit Charter and Chapter 50 do not appear to invoke a charter-based interim-zoning power that would test the §3207 ceiling; if City Council adopts a moratorium pending a Chapter 50 amendment it must comply with §3207 durational caps and concurrent-study requirements.
Effect
Any moratorium ordinance Detroit adopts is subject to MZEA §3207 statutory safeguards; cannot be used as a de facto permanent ban.
MI-MZEA-125-3206-group-homesapplies
Qualifying condition
Licensed adult foster-care family homes serving 6 or fewer adults must be treated as a residential use permitted in all districts where single-family homes are permitted (R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, plus residential PD and SD districts where SF dwellings are by-right). Chapter 50 districts permitting SF dwellings inherit §3206 parity automatically.
Effect
Detroit may not require conditional use, special exception, supermajority approval, or distance-separation minimums for licensed AFC family homes (≤6 residents) in any district that permits SF by-right. FHA reasonable-accommodation doctrine layers on top.
MI-MZEA-125-3206-manufactured-housingapplies
Qualifying condition
HUD-code manufactured homes may not be excluded from R districts based solely on method of construction. Chapter 50 may apply generally applicable dimensional and appearance standards (width, roof pitch, foundation, cladding) provided they apply equally to site-built homes.
Effect
Any Chapter 50 standard that singles out manufactured-construction methods for stricter treatment in R1-R6 is facially invalid. Mobile-home parks separately governed by MCL 125.2301 et seq. (Mobile Home Commission Act).
MI-HB5585-statewide-aduapplies
Qualifying condition
HB 5585 (103rd Legislature, introduced Feb 2026) — if enacted — would make ADUs by-right in residential districts statewide, prohibit counting toward density caps, prohibit parking minimums, and prohibit owner-occupancy requirements. Status as of 2026-05-18: PENDING in House Committee on Government Operations; not yet law. Detroit Chapter 50 currently permits ADUs through limited mechanisms — pre-enactment status is local-discretion.
Effect
If enacted, Detroit would lose discretion over ADU density-counting, parking, and owner-occupancy in R1-R6; impact deferred until enactment.

Adopted building codes

Statewide

IBC
2021
IRC
2015
NEC
2023
IFC
Local
IECC (Residential)
2015
IECC (Commercial)
2015

Click a code label to open its state-by-state adoption atlas.

Quirks & notes

  • Article XIII tables are use-row, not district-row — a single R district carries different lot sizes, FARs, and height treatments depending on which use is being built. Single dimensional value per district is misleading.
  • Inverse-density naming: R5 'Medium Density' permits the widest range of uses (SF through medium MFD) while R6 'High Density' excludes SF/2F by-right (conditional only).
  • Side-yard regulation uses two formulas: Formula A = (Length + 2*Height)/15 for lower-intensity rows; Formula B = (Length + 2*Height)/6 for non-residential and high-intensity rows. Single-/two-family use a flat 4 ft minimum + 14 ft combined.
  • RSR (Residential Site Requirement) coefficient appears in higher-density use rows (e.g., 0.07 RSR for R6 MFD, 0.085 for R5 rooming houses) — multiplies lot-area to give max units; functions as an inverse density cap embedded in the FAR row.
  • Chapter 50 was the former Chapter 61 — renumbered ~2019 in a recodification. Most extracted PDF citations retain the §61-13-X numbering from the 30-Aug-2018 compilation; modern Municode entries map these to §50-13-X equivalents.
  • Detroit Community Benefits Ordinance (Code §14-12 et seq., 2016 Prop A) imposes negotiation requirements on Tier 1 developments — operates outside the MZEA framework as a development-agreement regime, NOT a zoning condition. This is the structural reason Detroit can mandate community benefits despite MCL 125.3205 banning mandatory inclusionary zoning.
  • Far Eastside Overlay (§61-11-382) is the only Detroit overlay that DISPLACES the citywide ARTICLE XIII DIVISION 3 Alternative Residential Development Options for affected lots — it operates as an overlay-supersede pattern rather than the more common layered-additive pattern.
  • Master Plan land-use categories (Residential, Retail+Local Services, Industrial, Mixed Use, Parks+OS, Other) are the substantive anchor for PD district approvals — PD applicants must show their major use corresponds to a Master Plan category for the affected area.
  • Detroit historic districts operate under MCL 399.201 (Local Historic Districts Act, 1970 PA 169) — the HDC has substantive design veto via Certificate of Appropriateness, independent of Chapter 50 base district allowances.

Formulas

Definitions

height
Grade to highest point of structure; height limits in R2 and similar districts depend on use — most uses capped at 35 ft, but multiple-family dwellings have no max height (controlled by FAR instead). c§61-13-152.
lot_coverage
Building footprint / lot area, expressed as decimal. Coverage caps are applied per-use within a district. c§61-13-156.
far
Gross floor area / lot area. FAR caps are use-row in Article XIII, not district-row — R6 multifamily uses 2.00 FAR while R6 educational uses 2.00 FAR; rooming houses get 1.50 FAR. c§61-13-157.
du_ac
Detroit does not use du/ac as a primary density metric; density is controlled via FAR + min lot area per use. RSR ('residential site requirement') sub-multipliers appear in higher-density rows (e.g., R6 MFD with 0.07 RSR).
setback_front
Front yard from front lot line; uniformly 20 ft in R1-R6 (c§61-13-151).
setback_side
Two side-yard formulas appear in Article XIII: Formula A = (length + 2*height)/15 and Formula B = (length + 2*height)/6. Single-/two-family dwellings use a flat 4 ft minimum / 14 ft combined. (c§61-16-172.)
setback_rear
Generally 30 ft in R1-R6 (c§61-13-151).
parking
Detroit parking minimums located in ARTICLE XIV (Off-Street Parking), Division 1. Not extracted in this v2 regen pass.
rsr_reduction
Residential Site Requirement: a coefficient on lot-area-per-unit calculation applicable to certain MFD use rows (e.g., 0.085 RSR in R5 rooming houses, 0.07 RSR in R6 multifamily). c§61-13-156.

Capacity calculations

max_footprint_sf
lot_area_sf * lot_coverage (where lot_coverage is set for the specific use row; many use rows omit a coverage cap and rely on FAR + setbacks)
max_gfa_sf
lot_area_sf * far
max_units_mfd_r6
lot_area_sf * RSR (where RSR=0.07 for R6 multifamily; 1 unit per ~14,286 sf)
buildable_width_ft
lot_width_ft - 2 * setback_side_formula_result
buildable_depth_ft
lot_depth_ft - setback_front_ft - setback_rear_ft (typically -20 -30 = -50 ft from depth)

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 —
LOW
HIGH
drag to orbit · scroll to zoom
Max height
— ft
——
Floor area ratio
—
——
Lot coverage
—%
——
Setbacks (F / S / R)
— ft
——
Parking
— /unit
——
Max density
— du/ac
——
Min lot size
— sf
——
◄
prev
►
next
Copy zoning profile
Loading…
District Category Height FAR Coverage Setbacks Parking Density Min lot Overlays

Sources & references

Citations
  1. [1] §61-13-2
  2. [2] §61-13-2
  3. [3] §61-13-2
  4. [4] §61-13-2 (single-family use row)
  5. [5] §61-13-2
  6. [6] z
  7. [7] z
  8. [8] z
  9. [9] §61-13-3
  10. [10] §61-13-3
  11. [11] §61-13-3
  12. [12] §61-13-3
  13. [13] §61-13-3
  14. [14] z
  15. [15] z
  16. [16] z
  17. [17] §61-13-4
  18. [18] §61-13-4
  19. [19] §61-13-4
  20. [20] §61-13-4
  21. [21] §61-13-4
  22. [22] z
  23. [23] z
  24. [24] z
  25. [25] §61-13-5
  26. [26] §61-13-5
  27. [27] §61-13-5
  28. [28] §61-13-5
  29. [29] §61-13-5
  30. [30] z
  31. [31] z
  32. [32] z
  33. [33] §61-13-6
  34. [34] §61-13-6
  35. [35] §61-13-6
  36. [36] §61-13-6
  37. [37] §61-13-6
  38. [38] z
  39. [39] §61-13-6
  40. [40] z
  41. [41] §61-13-7
  42. [42] §61-13-7
  43. [43] §61-13-7
  44. [44] §61-13-7
  45. [45] §61-13-7
  46. [46] z
  47. [47] §61-13-7
  48. [48] z
  49. [49] z
  50. [50] z
  51. [51] z
  52. [52] z
  53. [53] z
  54. [54] z
  55. [55] z
  56. [56] z
  57. [57] z
  58. [58] z
  59. [59] z
  60. [60] z
  61. [61] z
  62. [62] z
  63. [63] z
  64. [64] z
  65. [65] z
  66. [66] z
  67. [67] z
  68. [68] z
  69. [69] z
  70. [70] z
  71. [71] z
  72. [72] z
  73. [73] z
  74. [74] z
  75. [75] z
  76. [76] z
  77. [77] z
  78. [78] z
  79. [79] z
  80. [80] z
  81. [81] z
  82. [82] z
  83. [83] z
  84. [84] z
  85. [85] z
  86. [86] z
  87. [87] z
  88. [88] z
  89. [89] z
  90. [90] z
  91. [91] z
  92. [92] z
  93. [93] z
  94. [94] z
  95. [95] z
  96. [96] z
  97. [97] z
  98. [98] z
  99. [99] z
  100. [100] z
  101. [101] z
  102. [102] z
  103. [103] z
  104. [104] z
  105. [105] z
  106. [106] z
  107. [107] z
  108. [108] z
  109. [109] z
  110. [110] z
  111. [111] z
  112. [112] z
  113. [113] z
  114. [114] z
  115. [115] z
  116. [116] z
  117. [117] z
  118. [118] z
  119. [119] z
  120. [120] z
  121. [121] z
  122. [122] z
  123. [123] z
  124. [124] z
  125. [125] z
  126. [126] z
  127. [127] z
  128. [128] z
  129. [129] z
  130. [130] z
  131. [131] z
  132. [132] z
  133. [133] z
  134. [134] z
  135. [135] z
  136. [136] z
  137. [137] z
  138. [138] z
  139. [139] z
  140. [140] z
  141. [141] z
  142. [142] z
  143. [143] z
  144. [144] z
  145. [145] z
  146. [146] z
  147. [147] z
  148. [148] z
  149. [149] z
  150. [150] z
  151. [151] z
  152. [152] z
  153. [153] z
  154. [154] z
  155. [155] z
  156. [156] z
  157. [157] z
  158. [158] z
  159. [159] z
  160. [160] z
  161. [161] z
  162. [162] z
  163. [163] z
  164. [164] z
  165. [165] z
  166. [166] z
  167. [167] z
  168. [168] z
  169. [169] z
  170. [170] z
  171. [171] z
  172. [172] z
  173. [173] z
  174. [174] z
  175. [175] z
  176. [176] z
  177. [177] z
  178. [178] z
  179. [179] z
  180. [180] z
  181. [181] z
  182. [182] z
  183. [183] z
  184. [184] z
  185. [185] z
  186. [186] z
  187. [187] z
  188. [188] z
  189. [189] z
  190. [190] z
  191. [191] z
  192. [192] z
  193. [193] z
  194. [194] z
  195. [195] z
  196. [196] z
  197. [197] z
  198. [198] z
  199. [199] z
  200. [200] z
  201. [201] z
  202. [202] z
  203. [203] z
  204. [204] z
  205. [205] z
  206. [206] z
  207. [207] z
  208. [208] z
  209. [209] z
  210. [210] z
  211. [211] z
  212. [212] z
  213. [213] z
  214. [214] z
  215. [215] z
  216. [216] z
  217. [217] z
  218. [218] z
  219. [219] z
  220. [220] z
  221. [221] z
  222. [222] z
  223. [223] z
  224. [224] z
  225. [225] z
  226. [226] z
  227. [227] z
  228. [228] z
  229. [229] z
  230. [230] z
  231. [231] z
  232. [232] z

Research status

Publication gates

primary url presentpassedcode_source is https://library.municode.com/mi/detroit/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COCH50_CH50ZO — the official authoritative compilation host. Municode is the City Council-designated repository (not an aggregator). City-hosted PDFs (detroitmi.gov/document/summary-table-zoning-intensity-and-dimensional-standards-including-setbacks and the Zoning Classifications PDF) provide the auxiliary primary surface that was actually fetched and extracted.
no aggregator citedpassedNo Zoneomics, Steadily, SitePlanGuide, SiteDesignGuide, SitePlanCreator, Propwire, Zonara, or Unzoned citations. All citations point to Detroit Code §50/§61-X, MCL §X, FEMA NFIP, MI Const. Art. VII, or MCL 399.201 (Local Historic Districts Act).
confidence tags full formpassedAll confirmed claims carry full-form §-citations (c§61-13-2 through c§61-13-7 for R1-R6; c MCL 125.3205, etc.). Fields without primary-source extraction in this pass are tagged 'not_captured' with explicit reason rather than bare [confirmed].
overlays have parameters trigger confidencepassedAll 9 overlays (GRT, TMS, MCO, GBO, DRO, FEO, HD, FH, MKT) have a non-empty params object (at minimum: applicable_zone_classes / geographic_definition / review_authority), a trigger string, and a confidence field tagged either c or c-partial with explicit citation.
preempt section city specificpassedstate_preemptions_applicable[] contains 5 entries: MI-MZEA-125-3205 IZ ban (city-specific: Detroit CBO operates outside §3205 as development-agreement regime per state preemptions.json city_specific_overrides), MI-MZEA-125-3207 moratoria, MI-MZEA-125-3206 group homes (city-specific: applies to R1-R5 + residential PD/SD), MI-MZEA-125-3206 manufactured housing parity, and MI-HB5585 statewide ADU (under_review pending 103rd Legislature). Each has explicit qualifying_condition_checked narrative.

Data quality

42%completeness32 confirmed14 partial
Documented gaps
  • B1-B6 dimensional standards (min lot, height, FAR, lot coverage, setbacks) — Article XIII business district tables not extracted in this v2 pass; would require Municode access or a city-hosted Article XIII full-text PDF.
  • M1-M5 dimensional standards — same blocker.
  • SD1-SD5 dimensional standards — same blocker.
  • P1, PC, PCA, TM, PR, W1 dimensional standards — same blocker.
  • PD district approval procedural details (ARTICLE III DIVISION 4) — not extracted.
  • Parking minimums in ARTICLE XIV — not extracted.
  • Lot coverage caps for SF/2F use rows in R1-R6 — Article XIII tables in extracted PDF omit coverage cells for SF/2F rows; relationship between FAR and footprint not fully expressed.
  • Overlay-specific dimensional parameters (Gateway, Traditional Main Street, Major Corridor, Grand Boulevard, Downtown/Riverfront, Far Eastside, MKT, Flood Hazard freeboard increment, Historic design guidelines).
  • MFD use-row max height in R6 — explicit cap missing; District Classifications doc describes R6 MFD height as 'controlled by FAR' but extracted §61-13-7 table omits explicit number.
  • Effective date of latest Chapter 50 amendment post-2018 (recodification + ongoing map amendments) — Municode would carry the active compilation date.

Known issues

freshness:volatileblocker:municodedata:gaps-present

Other cities in this state

Nearest-alphabetical profiles. Click through to compare zoning patterns side-by-side.

FlintGrand Rapids