Zoning districts · Article 47A
Cambridge Street North District zoning
Cambridge Street North District is governed by Article 47A of the Boston Zoning Code. It has 5 subdistrict types. Below are the height and floor area ratio limits set out in the Article 47A text.
Last verified Oct 2026. All 16 values shown were checked against the Article 47A text in the official Boston Zoning Code published on Municode and the BPDA Article 47A PDF (bostonplans.org/getattachment/486d49b6-16de-470b-99c8-3ee0af3799eb). This downtown article sets height and FAR in its text rather than in a dimensional table, so only those limits are shown; yards, open space and parking are set elsewhere in the Code. Large Project Review certification means a Certification of Compliance under Section 80B-6. Source: Boston Zoning Code, Article 47A.
Subdistricts
| Map code | Subdistrict type |
|---|---|
| Cambridge Street North Side Protection Area | Protection Area |
| Charles Street Jail South Protection Area | Protection Area |
| Blossom Street Restricted Growth Area | Restricted Growth Area |
| North Grove Street Restricted Growth Area | Restricted Growth Area |
| Charles Street Jail North Medium Density Area | Medium Density Area |
Section 47A-5 — Protection Areas, Restricted Growth Areas and Medium Density Area
| Requirement | Cambridge Street North Side Protection Area | Charles Street Jail South Protection Area | Blossom Street Restricted Growth Area | North Grove Street Restricted Growth Area | Charles Street Jail North Medium Density Area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max. building height (ft) | 65 ft | 125 ft | 80 ft | 65 ft | 125 ft |
| Max. floor area ratio (FAR) | 4 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 5 |
| Max. height with Large Project Review certification (ft) | — | — | 100 ft | 100 ft | 155 ft |
| Max. FAR with Large Project Review certification | 5Requires Appendix A ground-level uses with direct access from Cambridge Street | — | 7 | 7 | — |
Where the Code gives a height without a unit, we show it in feet.
Numbers in parentheses, like (1), are footnotes in the Code table. They often add conditions or exceptions, so read them in Article 47A.
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Try Stratum freeStratum is not affiliated with the City of Boston or the Boston Planning Department (formerly the BPDA). This summary is for early design and is not a legal determination. Zoning is amended over time, and overlay districts, map amendments and the table footnotes can change what applies to a parcel. Always verify with the Boston Zoning Code and the city before relying on these numbers.