Code Studio began working with the City of Detroit in 2018 on a Zoning Ordinance update. The project is called ZoneDetroit.

Detroit’s existing Zoning Ordinance underwent a complete overhaul beginning in 1997, leading up to the adoption of a new ordinance in 2005. The work in 2005 streamlined the code, added graphics and charts, and updated the language, resulting in improved regulations. However, with changes in City policy and the market over the years since then, a refresher is needed that reduces redundancy, simplifies regulations, and takes advantage of user-friendly digital formats. The Zone Detroit project serves as an opportunity to fix underlying zoning throughout the city, as well as add innovative new zoning thinking in select form-based code areas.

A draft of the Zoning Analytic, a summary of our recommendations to the City for updating the zoning ordinance, was recently released for public review. Check out the report here.

While the recommendations presented in the report are potential implementable solutions, at this stage they are meant to be starting-off points for discussion.

To follow the project, visit the ZoneDetroit website.

Below are photos taken during our week-long kick-off trip for the project.