Overview
Code type
euclidean
Naming convention
mixed
Philadelphia operates under the First Class City Home Rule Act (53 P.S. §13101 et seq.) and the 1951 Home Rule Charter — statutorily separate from the MPC (Act 247). Title 14 was comprehensively recodified in 2012 (Bill 110845) and continues to receive targeted amendments (RTA-2 added June 2025; CMX-4/CMX-5 parking elimination June 2025 per Bill 250524). Naming uses two-letter functional category (RSD detached, RSA attached, RTA two-family, RM multi-family, RMX residential-mixed-use, CA auto-commercial, CMX commercial-mixed-use, IRMX industrial-residential, ICMX industrial-commercial, I industrial, SP special-purpose) plus numeric tier where applicable. Council District designations modulate select dimensional standards (RSA-5 lot subdivision, ADU permission). Overlays are letter-coded slash-suffix (e.g., /CTR, /TOD). | naming_convention_raw=two-letter-functional-with-ordinal-tier ; sub_flags_raw=[first-class-city-home-rule, rowhouse-urbanism, two-letter-functional-naming, amlegal-blocked-to-scripted-fetch] ; narrative_ref=narratives/philadelphia-pa/9be8f86a-021e-482d-9a80-1378f5a9853c.json
Worth knowing
- First Class City home rule — MPC does NOT apply — Philadelphia is the only Pennsylvania municipality governed by the First Class City Home Rule Act (53 P.S. §13101 et seq., 1949). The Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (Act 247 of 1968) — which governs zoning in every other PA municipality — does NOT bind Philadelphia. ZBA appeals go directly to Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas; no MPC validity-challenge / curative-amendment procedure (§10609.1) is available. Title 14 was recodified in 2012 under home-rule plenary authority. — [53 P.S. §13101 et seq.; Title 14 Bill 110845 (2012)]
- Rowhouse city — RSA-5 is the dominant fabric — Philadelphia is the densest rowhouse city in North America by built form. RSA-5 (16 ft min lot width, 960 sf min lot area in Council Districts 1/2/3/7; 1,440 sf in Districts 4-10) is the most common district by parcel count. Lot subdivision to 800 sf is permitted if 75%+ adjacent lots ≤1,000 sf — enabling extreme densification of pre-recodification fabric. — [§14-701-1 Note [2]]
- Council-District modulation of dimensional standards — Some RSA-5 / CMX-2 dimensional standards explicitly vary by Philadelphia City Council District (1–10). RSA-5 minimum lot area: 960 sf in Districts 1/2/3/7; 1,440 sf in Districts 4/5/6/8/9/10. ADU permission similarly varies: by-right in Districts 1/2/3/7 (lots ≥1,600 sf or historic structures); historic structures only in Districts 4/5/8/9; not permitted in Districts 6/10. CMX-2 density tier table also council-district-keyed. Site-level analysis requires identifying Council District. — [§14-701-1 (RSA-5 ADU table); §14-701-3 (CMX-2 density table)]
+ 10 more in Quirks & notes
Districts
mu 10res_sf 9res_mf 6spec 6ind 5com 2
| Code | Name | Category | Min lot | Height | Coverage | FAR | Du/ac | Parking | Setbacks F/S/R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSD-1 | Residential Single-Family Detached 1 | res_sf | 10,000 sf | 38 ft | 35 | — | — | — | 35 / 15 / 30 |
| RSD-2 | Residential Single-Family Detached 2 | res_sf | 7,800 sf | 38 ft | 35 | — | — | — | 35 / 10 / 30 |
| RSD-3 | Residential Single-Family Detached 3 | res_sf | 5,000 sf | 38 ft | 30 | — | — | — | 25 / 10 / 25 |
| RSA-1 | Residential Single-Family Attached 1 | res_sf | 5,000 sf | 38 ft | 30 | — | — | — | 25 / 10 / 25 |
| RSA-2 | Residential Single-Family Attached 2 | res_sf | 3,150 sf | 38 ft | 40 | — | — | — | 15 / 8 / 20 |
| RSA-3 | Residential Single-Family Attached 3 | res_sf | 2,250 sf | 38 ft | 50 | — | — | — | 8 / 8 / 15 |
| RSA-4 | Residential Single-Family Attached 4 | res_sf | 1,620 sf | 38 ft | 50 | — | — | — | 15 / 8 / 20 |
| RSA-5 | Residential Single-Family Attached 5 | res_sf | 960 sf | 38 ft | 75 | — | — | — | — / 5 / 9 |
| RSA-6 | Residential Single-Family Attached 6 | res_sf | 700 sf | 35 ft | 80 | — | — | — | — / 5 / 7 |
| RTA-1 | Residential Two-Family Attached 1 | res_mf | 2,250 sf | 38 ft | 50 | — | — | — | 8 / 8 / 15 |
| RTA-2 | Residential Two-Family Attached 2 | res_mf | 1,080 sf | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| RM-1 | Residential Multi-Family 1 | res_mf | 1,440 sf | 38 ft | 75 | — | — | — | — / 5 / 9 |
| RM-2 | Residential Multi-Family 2 | res_mf | 15,000 sf | — | — | 0.7 | — | — | — / — / — |
| RM-3 | Residential Multi-Family 3 | res_mf | 10,000 sf | — | 50 | 1.5 | — | — | 20 / 6 / 20 |
| RM-4 | Residential Multi-Family 4 | res_mf | 2,500 sf | — | 75 | 3.5 | — | — | — / 5 / 5 |
| RMX-1 | Residential Mixed-Use 1 | mu | — | — | 50 | 1.5 | — | — | — / — / — |
| RMX-2 | Residential Mixed-Use 2 | mu | — | — | 75 | 2.5 | — | — | — / — / — |
| RMX-3 | Residential Mixed-Use 3 | mu | — | — | 90 | 5 | — | — | 25 / 5 / 25 |
| CA-1 | Auto-Oriented Commercial 1 | com | 5,000 sf | 38 ft | 60 | — | — | — | — / 5 / 5 |
| CA-2 | Auto-Oriented Commercial 2 | com | 15,000 sf | 38 ft | 100 | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| CMX-1 | Commercial Mixed-Use 1 (Neighborhood) | mu | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| CMX-2 | Commercial Mixed-Use 2 (Neighborhood) | mu | — | 38 ft | 75 | — | — | — | — / 5 / 9 |
| CMX-2.5 | Commercial Mixed-Use 2.5 (Neighborhood) | mu | — | 55 ft | 75 | — | — | — | — / 5 / 9 |
| CMX-3 | Commercial Mixed-Use 3 (Community/Regional) | mu | — | — | 75 | 5 | — | — | — / 8 / — |
| CMX-4 | Commercial Mixed-Use 4 (Community/Regional) | mu | — | — | 90 | 5 | — | — | — / 5 / — |
| CMX-5 | Commercial Mixed-Use 5 (Center City) | mu | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| IRMX | Industrial Residential Mixed-Use | mu | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| ICMX | Industrial Commercial Mixed-Use | ind | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| I-1 | Light Industrial | ind | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| I-2 | Medium Industrial | ind | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| I-3 | Heavy Industrial | ind | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| I-P | Port Industrial | ind | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| SP-INS | Institutional (Special Purpose) | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| SP-CIV | Civic Institutional (Special Purpose) | spec | — | — | 80 | 4 | — | — | — / 0 / 9 |
| SP-PO | Parks and Open Space (Special Purpose) | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| SP-ENT | Entertainment (Special Purpose) | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| SP-STA | Sports Stadium (Special Purpose) | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| SP-AIR | Airport (Special Purpose) | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found
Overlays
/CTR
Center City Overlay District
SPECCenter City Philadelphia core; specific subareas (Old City Residential, Bridge Approach, others) modulate CMX-3/4 bonuses
/TOD
Transit-Oriented Development Overlay District
SPECDesignated transit-station vicinity (SEPTA / regional rail) — mapped overlay
/CDO
Central Delaware Riverfront Overlay District
SPECCentral Delaware River waterfront corridor
/DRC
Delaware River Conservation Overlay District
SPECDelaware River conservation area
/NCO
Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District
SPECMapped neighborhood conservation areas (multiple subareas across city)
/NCA
Neighborhood Commercial Area Overlay District
SPECDesignated neighborhood commercial corridors
/ENV
Environmental Preservation Overlay District
SPECEnvironmentally sensitive areas (slopes, wetlands, woodlands) within Philadelphia
/AHC
Airport Hazard Control Overlay District
SPECPhiladelphia International Airport (PHL) — FAA Part 77 imaginary surfaces (approach, transitional, horizontal, conical); also Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE) vicinity
/HHC
Heliport Hazard Control Overlay District
SPECHelistop / heliport vicinities (hospital rooftop heliports, riverfront helistops)
/WWO
Wissahickon Watershed Overlay District
SPECWissahickon Creek watershed within Philadelphia (northwestern city — Roxborough, Manayunk, Mt. Airy, Chestnut Hill)
Historic-District
Philadelphia Historic Preservation — Chapter 14-1000
SPECDesignated historic districts and individual landmarks; Philadelphia Historical Commission jurisdiction
/MIN
Mixed Income Neighborhoods Overlay District
SPECMapped mixed-income neighborhood overlay areas
State preemptions
PA_FCCHRA_PHILADELPHIA_1949applies
Qualifying condition
qualifying_condition=Philadelphia is the only First Class City in Pennsylvania (population ≥1,000,000); FCCHRA applies exclusively to Philadelphia. ; city_specific_note=Philadelphia's First Class City status materially changes the procedural framework: no MPC curative-amendment procedure, no MPC notice-period requirements per se (though Sunshine Act 65 Pa.C.S. §§701–716 and Right-to-Know Law 65 P.S. §67.101 et seq. still apply). Subject-matter state preemptions reaching Philadelphia are statute-specific (oil & gas, mining, firearms under 18 Pa.C.S. §6120) — the FCCHRA shield is broad but not absolute.
Effect
Philadelphia operates under home-rule plenary zoning authority — the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (Act 247) does not apply. ZBA appeals go directly to Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas (not the MPC validity-challenge procedure at §10609.1). Title 14 is the substantive zoning code; Philadelphia Code Chapter 14-300 administers permits, hearings, variances, special exceptions.
PA_ACT537_SEWAGE_FACILITIES_PLANNING_1966applies
Qualifying condition
qualifying_condition=Statute trigger_predicate: always (every PA municipality). ; city_specific_note=PWD's 25-year Green City Clean Waters Long-Term Control Plan (USEPA-approved 2012) governs CSO reduction via green stormwater infrastructure — Act 537 module review nests within this framework.
Effect
Philadelphia must maintain Official Sewage Facilities Plan; new on-lot sewage or public-sewer extension requires DEP planning module approval. Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) administers the public-sewer system covering nearly the entire city; on-lot systems are vanishingly rare. Act 537 module practice applies mainly to combined-sewer-overflow (CSO) area development and Philadelphia Vision 2080 green stormwater compliance.
PA_ACT167_STORMWATER_MANAGEMENT_1978applies
Qualifying condition
qualifying_condition=Statute trigger_predicate: always; additional NPDES MS4 binding because Philadelphia is NPDES Phase I MS4-designated. ; city_specific_note=Philadelphia is NPDES Phase I (not Phase II) — the more stringent tier reserved for large urbanized municipalities. PWD Stormwater Plan Review (SPR) process at https://www.pwdplanreview.org/. Coordination with §14-702(14) Stormwater Management bonus (CMX-3/4 up to 36-72 ft additional height in /CDO/ECO overlays).
Effect
Philadelphia is a federally permitted NPDES Phase I MS4 (one of two Phase I MS4s in PA alongside Allegheny County). PWD's Stormwater Regulations (effective 2011, updated periodically) implement Act 167 + Phase I MS4 requirements. Post-construction stormwater BMPs are binding on all earth-disturbance ≥15,000 sf and on smaller redevelopment in certain areas.
PA_COASTAL_ZONE_LAKE_ERIE_DELAWARE_CZMAapplies
Qualifying condition
qualifying_condition=Trigger: city.is_in_delaware_estuary_coastal_zone = true. ; city_specific_note=Lake Erie Bluff Recession provisions (Act 87 of 1980) do not apply (Philadelphia is on the Delaware, not Lake Erie). The /CDO Central Delaware Riverfront Overlay (§14-500) is the city-level expression of waterfront management within the federally recognized Coastal Zone.
Effect
Philadelphia, Bucks, and Delaware Counties contain the Delaware Estuary Coastal Zone (~57 mi of estuary frontage). Federal actions and federally-licensed/funded private activities within the PA Coastal Zone must be consistent with the NOAA-approved PA Coastal Resources Management Program. PA DEP Coastal Resources Management Program administers federal-consistency review.
PA_HISTORY_CODE_ARCHAEOLOGY_1988applies
Qualifying condition
qualifying_condition=Trigger: project.has_state_funding_or_permit = true OR parcel.is_on_state_owned_land = true (state-funded undertakings). ; city_specific_note=Philadelphia Historical Commission has full jurisdiction over locally designated structures and districts regardless of state nexus. Federal Section 106 (54 U.S.C. §306108) runs in parallel for federally funded/permitted projects (HUD CDBG, Section 8 LIHTC, NEPA-triggering projects).
Effect
State-funded or state-permitted undertakings require PA SHPO (PHMC) consultation analogous to federal Section 106. Philadelphia Historical Commission (Chapter 14-1000) operates under home-rule authority alongside the state framework — Philadelphia's local historic-designation regime is the principal day-to-day mechanism.
PA_UCC_UNIFORM_CONSTRUCTION_CODE_1999applies
Qualifying condition
qualifying_condition=Statute trigger_predicate: always. ; city_specific_note=Philadelphia has not adopted local amendments more stringent than UCC for residential construction. Commercial high-rise provisions follow IBC-base with PA RAC selected updates.
Effect
Statewide UCC (ICC-base family — IBC, IRC, IECC, IMC, IPC, IFGC) applies in Philadelphia. UCC preempts construction-standard fields (occupancy, fire protection, energy) but not zoning fields (height, setback, use, density). Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) administers UCC enforcement locally.
PA_FIREARMS_PREEMPTION_6120applies
Qualifying condition
qualifying_condition=Trigger: project.use_type IN [gun_store, firing_range, ffl_dealer]. ; city_specific_note=Ortiz reaffirms §6120 reaches Philadelphia despite FCCHRA — one of the few statute-specific subject-matter preemptions that pierces First Class City home rule. Targeted gun-store-only setback ordinances (e.g., 1,000-ft school separation) are vulnerable; general commercial-zoning incidence is permissible.
Effect
Confirmed via Ortiz v. Commonwealth (1996) that §6120 preempts Philadelphia even under FCCHRA home rule. Philadelphia cannot regulate the lawful ownership, possession, transfer, or transportation of firearms. Zoning may regulate gun stores / ranges / FFL dealers only via generally applicable commercial-zoning provisions — no targeted or differential treatment.
Non-applicable laws (7)
PA_MPC_ACT247_1968under_review
Qualifying condition
qualifying_condition=MPC trigger predicate excludes first_class_city governance class (PA_MPC_ACT247_1968 overlay). ; city_specific_note=Confirmed via state overlay PA_MPC_ACT247_1968 trigger_predicate: NOT (governance_class IN [first_class_city]). Philadelphia governance_class = first_class_city.
Effect
MPC procedural requirements (notice, curative-amendment, validity-challenge under §10609.1) do not bind Philadelphia. Surrick v. Zoning Hearing Board exclusionary-zoning doctrine — developed under MPC — does not directly apply, though Philadelphia's constitutional posture under PA Const. Art. III §32 (Special Legislation Clause) and federal due process operates in parallel.
PA_MPC_503_1_1_MANUFACTURED_HOUSING_2000under_review
Qualifying condition
qualifying_condition=Manufactured-housing parity binds MPC-governed municipalities only. ; city_specific_note=Practical effect: minimal — Philadelphia is a rowhouse city with effectively zero manufactured-housing market. No exclusionary disparity to remediate.
Effect
No MPC binding on Philadelphia; trigger excludes first_class_city per overlay.
PA_SMCRA_SURFACE_MINING_1396_4Eunder_review
Qualifying condition
qualifying_condition=Trigger: city.is_in_surface_mining_footprint = true AND project.use_type = surface_mining_operation. ; city_specific_note=Philadelphia is_in_surface_mining_footprint = false. SMCRA preemption reserved for SW + Bituminous PA municipalities.
Effect
Philadelphia is fully urban; no operational surface coal mining within corporate limits. Trigger predicate not satisfied.
PA_ACT13_OIL_GAS_3303under_review
Qualifying condition
qualifying_condition=Trigger: city.is_in_marcellus_utica_footprint = true AND project.use_type = oil_gas_operation. ; city_specific_note=is_in_marcellus_utica_footprint = false. Robinson Township operational-vs-locational split is not triggered.
Effect
Philadelphia is not in the Marcellus/Utica producing footprint (which is SW PA + NE-Tier counties). Trigger not satisfied. Petroleum-refining at I-3 / I-P sites (Philadelphia Energy Solutions legacy, riverfront port) is downstream/midstream — distinct from upstream §3303 operational preemption.
PA_CHESAPEAKE_BAY_RIPARIAN_BUFFER_CH102under_review
Qualifying condition
qualifying_condition=Trigger: city.is_in_chesapeake_bay_watershed = true. ; city_specific_note=is_in_chesapeake_bay_watershed = false. Philadelphia sits in the Delaware Estuary watershed (Coastal Zone overlay applies instead).
Effect
Philadelphia drains entirely to the Delaware Estuary, not the Chesapeake. Riparian forest buffer requirements under §102.14 (for EV/HQ waters in the Chesapeake watershed) do not apply within Philadelphia. Chapter 102 E&S/NPDES permits still apply to earth disturbance ≥1 acre under the general Phase I MS4 framework.
PA_AG_SECURITY_AREA_ACT43_1981under_review
Qualifying condition
qualifying_condition=Trigger: city.is_in_agricultural_security_area = true AND parcel.is_within_asa = true. ; city_specific_note=Right to Farm Act (3 P.S. §§951–957) similarly does not protect any operations within Philadelphia.
Effect
Philadelphia has no Agricultural Security Areas — ASAs require 250+ contiguous agricultural acres which do not exist within corporate limits.
PA_SCENIC_RIVERS_ACT_1972under_review
Qualifying condition
qualifying_condition=Trigger: city.is_in_scenic_river_corridor = true. ; city_specific_note=Wissahickon Creek (within Fairmount Park) is protected by /WWO Wissahickon Watershed Overlay rather than Scenic Rivers Act designation.
Effect
No state-designated Scenic River corridor passes through Philadelphia (Lower Delaware River is federally Wild & Scenic but the federal designation governs federal-lands setbacks, not municipal zoning per se).
Adopted building codes
Most jurisdictions opt in
Click a code label to open its state-by-state adoption atlas.
Quirks & notes
- First Class City home rule — MPC does NOT apply — Philadelphia is the only Pennsylvania municipality governed by the First Class City Home Rule Act (53 P.S. §13101 et seq., 1949). The Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (Act 247 of 1968) — which governs zoning in every other PA municipality — does NOT bind Philadelphia. ZBA appeals go directly to Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas; no MPC validity-challenge / curative-amendment procedure (§10609.1) is available. Title 14 was recodified in 2012 under home-rule plenary authority. — [53 P.S. §13101 et seq.; Title 14 Bill 110845 (2012)]
- Rowhouse city — RSA-5 is the dominant fabric — Philadelphia is the densest rowhouse city in North America by built form. RSA-5 (16 ft min lot width, 960 sf min lot area in Council Districts 1/2/3/7; 1,440 sf in Districts 4-10) is the most common district by parcel count. Lot subdivision to 800 sf is permitted if 75%+ adjacent lots ≤1,000 sf — enabling extreme densification of pre-recodification fabric. — [§14-701-1 Note [2]]
- Council-District modulation of dimensional standards — Some RSA-5 / CMX-2 dimensional standards explicitly vary by Philadelphia City Council District (1–10). RSA-5 minimum lot area: 960 sf in Districts 1/2/3/7; 1,440 sf in Districts 4/5/6/8/9/10. ADU permission similarly varies: by-right in Districts 1/2/3/7 (lots ≥1,600 sf or historic structures); historic structures only in Districts 4/5/8/9; not permitted in Districts 6/10. CMX-2 density tier table also council-district-keyed. Site-level analysis requires identifying Council District. — [§14-701-1 (RSA-5 ADU table); §14-701-3 (CMX-2 density table)]
- RTA-2 + CMX-4/CMX-5 MF parking elimination (June 2025) — Bill 250524 (effective June 2025) created the RTA-2 district (1,080 sf min lot, two-family attached) and eliminated minimum parking requirements for multifamily uses in CMX-4 and CMX-5. Important pro-forma input for any 2026 underwriting; pre-2025 records that lacked these will produce wrong yields. — [Bill 250524 (June 2025); Master Table of Zoning Legislation 2026-04-07]
- RSA-5 third-story step-back rule — Per §14-701-1 Note [4], where abutting lots on both sides of an attached building contain only two stories of enclosed area, the third+ stories of the attached house must be set back an additional 8 ft from the minimum distance between front facades and the front lot line. Corner lots exempt. Materially affects retrofit underwriting on two-story rowhouse blocks. — [§14-701-1 Note [4]]
- 3/4-height setback rule for RM-2 — RM-2 uses a 3/4-of-building-height setback rule for both interior lot lines (measured from lot line) and street frontage lot lines (measured from street centerline). No flat occupied-area cap — building envelope governed by ¾H geometry plus 70% FAR. Distinct from the conventional fixed-setback model used in lower tiers. — [§14-701-2 Note [7]]
- Contextual front facade rule (RSA-5/6, RM-1, CMX-1) — Front facade setback is not a fixed dimension — it must match the front facade line of the adjacent principal building (or, on blockfaces without an adjacent principal building, the closest existing front facade). Applies in RSA-5, RSA-6, RM-1, CMX-1, CMX-2, CMX-2.5. Block-level field measurement required at site-selection stage. — [§14-701-1 Note [5]; §14-701-2 Note [6]; §14-701-3 Note [3] (CMX-1)]
- CMX-2.5 build-to-lot-line requirement (Main Street pattern) — Unique to CMX-2.5: buildings must be built to the lot line on any primary frontage (§14-701-3 Note [4]). Combined with a 55 ft max height and 25 ft min cornice height, this is Philadelphia's Main-Street-pattern district — pedestrian-mandatory streetwall, taller than CMX-1/CMX-2. — [§14-701-3 Note [4]]
- §14-702 zoning bonus stack — Mixed Income / Green Roof / Transit / Trail — Philadelphia operates a layered zoning-bonus framework at §14-702 with twelve enumerated bonuses (§14-702 1-16). Mixed Income Housing (7) is the most material — voluntary affordability gives up to +250% FAR in RMX-3 / +175% FAR in RM-4. Stacks with /TOD, /CDO, /ECO overlay-specific additional FAR / height. Bonuses are voluntary (consistent with PA's lack of mandatory IZ preemption); none would be enforceable as a rezoning condition. — [§14-702(5)-(16); §14-702(7) Mixed Income Housing; §14-702(8) Transit Improvements]
- NPDES Phase I MS4 (one of two in PA) — Philadelphia is one of only two NPDES Phase I MS4 municipalities in Pennsylvania (Allegheny County is the other). Phase I is the more stringent tier reserved for large urbanized municipalities; binds the city to a far broader stormwater-program scope than Phase II. PWD's Stormwater Regulations (2011, updated) and Green City Clean Waters Long-Term Control Plan (USEPA-approved 2012) implement these obligations. Earth-disturbance ≥15,000 sf triggers Stormwater Plan Review (SPR). — [PA Act 167, 32 P.S. §§680.1-680.17; 25 Pa. Code Ch. 92a; PWD SPR program]
- Delaware Estuary Coastal Zone (CZMA federal consistency) — Philadelphia falls within the NOAA-approved PA Coastal Zone Management Program (Delaware Estuary segment, ~57 mi). Federal actions and federally-licensed/funded private activities require federal-consistency review with PA DEP CRMP. /CDO Central Delaware Riverfront Overlay is the city-level expression of this regime. — [PA CRMP (1980); 16 U.S.C. §1456]
- amlegal source is 403-gated to scripted fetch — codelibrary.amlegal.com (Philadelphia's official online code mirror) returns Cloudflare 403 to all scripted WebFetch / curl access — must be retrieved via browser-based path (Chrome MCP or human-in-the-loop) or via the PCPC Zoning Code Quick Guide PDF mirror at phila.gov. Authoritative ordinance text is the adopted Title 14 + amendments at legislation.phila.gov; convenience copy at amlegal lags adoption by weeks-months. — [source-portals.md (skill reference); amlegal disclaimer; PCPC Quick Guide as PDF mirror]
- Ortiz v. Commonwealth — firearms preemption pierces FCCHRA — Ortiz v. Commonwealth, 681 A.2d 152 (Pa. 1996) confirmed that 18 Pa.C.S. §6120 (firearms preemption) reaches Philadelphia despite First Class City home rule. One of the few subject-matter state preemptions that survives FCCHRA. Gun-store / range / FFL-dealer zoning may operate only via generally-applicable commercial-zoning incidence — targeted ordinances are vulnerable. — [Ortiz v. Commonwealth, 681 A.2d 152 (Pa. 1996); 18 Pa.C.S. §6120]
Formulas
Definitions
- height
- Maximum building height measured grade to highest point of structure (excluding qualifying roof structures)
- occupied_area
- Maximum lot occupancy — building footprint as percentage of lot area
- far
- Floor Area Ratio — gross floor area / lot area (used in RM-2/3/4, RMX, CMX-3/4/5 tiers)
- setbacks
- Distance from property line to nearest building face
- three_quarter_height_setback
- In RM-2 and equivalent, setbacks for structures from each lot line shall be equal to 3/4 of building height; for street-frontage lot lines measured from the centerline of the street
- party_wall_zero_setback
- Where dwelling is attached by party wall, interior sideyard on that side is zero (enables rowhouse pattern)
Capacity calculations
- rsa5_lot_subdivision_800sf
In RSA-5, a lot ≥1,600 sf may be divided to a minimum 800 sf lot per dwelling if (a) ≥75% of adjacent lots ≤1,000 sf, (b) each new lot used for one single-family attached, (c) each meets min lot width- rsa5_third_story_step_back
Third story setback rule — if abutting lots both have only two stories of enclosed area, stories above the second of an attached house shall be set back 8 ft from the minimum distance between front facades and front lot line (corner lots exempt)- rm_dwelling_unit_density
RM-1: min 360 sf lot area per DU for first 1,440 sf of lot area; min 480 sf lot area per DU thereafter. Higher RM tiers use FAR-based caps.- cmx2_density_council_district_table
CMX-2 dwelling unit density by lot size varies by Council District (1–10); Districts 1-3,7: 480 sf/unit across all lot sizes; Districts 4-6,8-10: tiered 2 units / 3 units / 480 sf-per-unit by < 1,440 sf / 1,440–1,919 sf / > 1,919 sf brackets- mixed_income_housing_bonus
§14-702(7) Mixed Income Housing zoning bonus — additional FAR (25%–250%) and/or height (7 ft–60 ft) depending on district and income tier (moderate vs low). Active in RM-2/3/4, RMX-1/2/3, CMX-1/2/2.5/3/4/5.- green_roof_bonus
§14-702(16) Green Roof zoning bonus — 25% additional units permitted in RM-1, CMX-1, CMX-2, CMX-2.5
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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Setbacks (F / S / R)
— ft
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Parking
— /unit
——
Max density
— du/ac
——
Min lot size
— sf
——
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| District | Category | Height | FAR | Coverage | Setbacks | Parking | Density | Min lot | Overlays |
|---|
Sources & references
Primary source
Retrieval failure: codelibrary.amlegal.com returns 403 to scripted WebFetch (Cloudflare + JS-SPA); authoritative PCPC Zoning Code Quick Guide (Sept 2022) retrieved as PDF for §14-701-1 / §14-602 dimensional + use tables. Per-amendment bill text retrieved via legislation.phila.gov.
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 |
Verification
| last_verified_at | 2026-05-18T00:00:00Z |
|---|---|
| verifier_specialist | verification-pass |
| verifier_version | 1.0 |
| verification_result | passed |
| atomic_claims_checked | 84 |
| atomic_claims_passed | 84 |
| atomic_claims_failed | 0 |
| notes | All confirmed claims carry §14-XXX or §-citation (§14-701-1, §14-701-2, §14-701-3, §14-701-4, §14-701-5, §14-702(N), §14-500, Chapter 14-1000, Bill 250524) or state-citation (53 P.S. §13101 et seq., 32 P.S. §§680.1-680.17, 18 Pa.C.S. §6120, 16 U.S.C. §1456, etc.). No aggregator citations (Zoneomics / Steadily / SitePlanGuide / Municode-via-aggregator). Partial / under-extracted dimensional fields (CMX-5, IRMX, ICMX, SP-INS / SP-PO / SP-ENT / SP-STA / SP-AIR detail tables) have explicit status:partial with reason. amlegal-403 retrieval gap is documented in source.retrieval_failure_reason. |
| narrative_ref | narratives/philadelphia-pa/9be8f86a-021e-482d-9a80-1378f5a9853c.json |
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