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Stratum and the Boston Zoning Viewer
The City of Boston Planning Department (formerly the BPDA) publishes the Zoning Viewer, a free interactive map for finding the zoning district, subdistrict and overlay districts of a Boston parcel. It is a good, authoritative place to start, and we use it ourselves.
Stratum does a different job. It puts the real parcel on a drafting canvas so you can sketch to scale, see the setbacks and buildable area, and keep PDFs and site photos on the same board. Built and tested by practicing Boston architects.
| City Zoning Viewer | Stratum | |
|---|---|---|
| Who makes it | City of Boston Planning Department (formerly the BPDA) | Stratum, an independent company |
| Cost | Free, public | Free public beta |
| Main job | Look up the zoning district, subdistrict and overlays for a parcel on a city map | Bring a parcel onto a drafting canvas and work on it to scale |
| Overlay districts | Shows the overlay districts mapped by the city, plus context layers such as flood hazard data | Shows the overlays recorded for the parcel in its zoning dossier |
| Drawing and sketching | Not a drafting tool | Sketch, measure and mark up in real-world feet on an infinite canvas |
| Setbacks and buildable envelope | You read the rules in the Zoning Code | Set the front and rear edges and see the buildable area inside the setbacks |
| PDFs and photos | Not supported | Import PDFs and site photos and scale them to the drawing |
| Legal standing | The signed Zoning Maps remain the official documents | Not an official source. Always confirm with the Zoning Code and the city |
Questions
Is Stratum the official Boston Zoning Viewer?
No. The Zoning Viewer is published by the City of Boston Planning Department at maps.bostonplans.org/zoningviewer. Stratum is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the City of Boston.
Should I still use the city Zoning Viewer?
Yes. It is the city’s public map, and the city notes that its signed Zoning Maps remain the official documents. Many people use the Zoning Viewer to confirm a district and Stratum to work out what fits on the lot.
How current is the data?
The Planning Department says its Zoning Viewer data is updated monthly and may not reflect the latest amendments. Stratum’s data can lag too, so confirm anything you rely on against the Zoning Code.
Stratum is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an official product of the City of Boston or the Boston Planning Department. “Zoning Viewer” refers to the city’s tool. Zoning information in Stratum is for early design and is not a legal determination; confirm it with the Boston Zoning Code and the city.