Proposed Zoning Changes Summary, Amended Legislation, & Updated Height Map

These documents were last updated after City Council's December 5, 2022 public hearing.

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Welcome!

This is the EngagePGH page for the Oakland Plan Zoning Proposal. The proposal begins to implement a number of the strategies in the plan by establishing tools and standards that allows new development to be part of creating the Oakland described in the Vision Statement.

This Zoning Proposal has four key components:

  • Fifth and Forbes Avenue corridor: existing “Oakland Public Realm District, Subdistrict C” will be replaced by “Urban Center – Employment” with new provisions that better support employment activities including a predictable pathway for creating taller buildings, new open space and sidewalk standards, and limits on new residential development to create more space for jobs.
  • Boulevard of the Allies: existing “Oakland Public Realm District, Subdistrict D” will be replaced by “Urban Center – Residential Mixed Use” to support more dense mixed-use development around the Boulevard and incentivize the creation of affordable housing.
  • Central Oakland between Louisa Street and Dawson Street: various existing zones will be replaced by “Residential – Mixed Use” to allow new multi-unit housing structures that can better meet student and affordable housing needs while providing new open spaces.
  • Inclusionary housing: all of Oakland will be included in the Inclusionary Zoning Overlay District currently found in Lawrenceville, Bloomfield, and Polish Hill. Development projects providing 20+ residential units for sale or rent must price 10% of those units affordably. There is a separate page for the Inclusionary Zoning proposal.

How to use the Proposed Zoning map (updated)

View the Updated Proposed Zoning Map open in new window

City Council

September 14, 2022 City Council Proposal

Dig into the Details

To truly understand the proposed rezoning, you must read the draft zoning code language using the buttons below. The proposed Zoning legislation is available below in a combined format as well as in parts (Zoning Language, Use Table, and Use Standards). A few highlights and references are provided below to make it easier to browse the proposal (all page number references are found in the Updated Proposed Zoning Language (Complete) document unless noted otherwise):

  • Electric vehicle readiness standards for new structured parking: see pages 180 and 188.
  • Green buffer standards: see pages 5, 14, and 187-188.
  • Height bonuses available in the rezoned areas: see page 9 (UC-E), page 4 (UC-MU), and page 13 (R-MU).
  • Height reduction areas: see page 186.
  • Inclusionary zoning proposal: click to go to that project page.
  • Sidewalk standards on Fifth and Forbes Avenues: see page 10.
  • Urban open space standard: see pages 180-182.
  • Whole Building Life-Cycle Assessment: see pages 186-187.
Read the September 2022 Proposed Zoning Legislation Draft open in new window
Proposed Use Table open in new window
Proposed Use Standards open in new window

Maximum Height/Build Out Section

Planning Commission

June 14, 2022 Planning Commission Proposal

View the Public Comments and Responses open in new window
Summary of Changes from March 7, 2022 Zoning Draft open in new window

Dig into the Details

To truly understand the proposed rezoning, you must read the draft zoning code language using the buttons below. The proposed Zoning legislation is available below in a combined format as well as in parts (Zoning Language, Use Table, and Use Standards). A few highlights and references are provided below to make it easier to browse the proposal (all page number references are found in the Updated Proposed Zoning Language (Complete) document unless noted otherwise):

  • Bird safe glazing standards for windows: see page 185.
  • Electric vehicle readiness standards for new structured parking: see pages 180 and 188.
  • Green buffer standards: see pages 3-4, 9, and 187-188.
  • Height bonuses available in the rezoned areas: see page 10 (UC-E), page 6 (UC-MU), and page 15 (R-MU).
  • Height reduction areas: see page 186.
  • Inclusionary zoning proposal: click to go to that project page.
  • Limits on new residential development on Fifth and Forbes Avenues: see pages 113 and 146.
  • Sidewalk standards on Fifth and Forbes Avenues: see page 9.
  • Urban open space standard: see pages 180-183.
  • Whole Building Life-Cycle Assessment: see pages 186-187.
Read September 2022 Proposed Zoning Legislation Draft open in new window
Read the Proposed Zoning Language (without Use Table or Standards) open in new window
See the Proposed Use Table open in new window
Read the Proposed Use Standards open in new window

Maximum Height/Build Out Section

March 7 Original Proposal

March 7, 2022 Original Proposal

Dig into the Details

To truly understand the proposed rezoning, you must read the draft zoning code language using the buttons below. A few highlights and references are provided below to make it easier to browse the proposal (all page number references are found in the Proposed Zoning Language document unless noted otherwise):

  • Bird safe glazing standards for windows: see page 15.
  • Electric vehicle readiness standards for new structured parking: see page 9.
  • Green buffer standards: see page 15.
  • Height bonuses available in the rezoned areas: see page 2 (UC-E), page 4 (UC-MU), and page 6 (R-MU).
  • Height reduction areas: see page 16.
  • Inclusionary zoning proposal: click to go to that project page.
  • Limits on new residential development on Fifth and Forbes Avenues: see page 82 of the Use Standards.
  • Sidewalk standards on Fifth and Forbes Avenues: see page 3.
  • Urban open space standard: see page 9.
  • Whole Building Life-Cycle Assessment: see pages 2 and 8.
Read the Proposed Zoning Language open in new window
See the Proposed Use Table open in new window
Review the Proposed Use Standards open in new window

Maximum Height/Build Out Section

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Kate Rakus

Policy & Code Implementation Coordinator, Department of City Planning

Kate is leading the effort to draft the Zoning Code proposal to address goals expressed in the Oakland Plan. She is a manager in DCP's Zoning and Development Review Division where she's worked for over a decade.

Derek Dauphin

Planning Manager, Port Authority of Allegheny County

Derek has been the project manager of the Oakland Plan process and worked with Kate Rakus on the development of the Zoning Code proposals. He remains on the project team but is now a manager at the Port Authority. Prior to the Oakland Plan, Derek was the project manager for the EcoInnovation District Plan in Uptown and worked as a Central City Planner at the City of Portland, Oregon.

Andrew Dash

Deputy Director, Department of City Planning

Andrew has been part of DCP's leadership for nearly 10 years overseeing all neighborhood planning and rezoning efforts during that time. He is now Deputy Director working with Director Karen Abrams.

Andrea Lavin-Kossis

Planning Manager, Department of City Planning

Andrea has been with DCP for a little over 6 years and brings a great depth of knowledge from work in the planning and green buildings sectors before that time. She was the project manager for the Riverfront Rezoning Project which rezoned all 35 miles of Pittsburgh's riverfront.

Stephanie-Joy Everett

Principal Planner, Department of City Planning

Stephanie-Joy or "SJ" is the new project manager for the Oakland Plan. In recent years she co-authored of the City's Neighborhood Plan Guide and was the project manager for the Manchester-Chateau neighborhood plan.

Thomas Scharff

Project Coordinator, Department of City Planning

Thomas is a neighborhood planner at DCP and has been helping to manage the Oakland and Hill District neighborhood plans. He joined DCP during the pandemic, moving to Pittsburgh from Portland, Oregon where he worked on mobility projects for their transit authority, TriMet.

Corey Layman

Zoning Administrator, Department of City Planning

Corey manages the Zoning and Development Review Division and has worked for that division off and on for over a decade. As Zoning Administrator, he is responsible for overseeing all development review processes at DCP.

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