Zoning districts · Article 43
Chinatown Neighborhood District zoning
Chinatown Neighborhood District is governed by Article 43 of the Boston Zoning Code. It has 7 subdistrict types. Below are the dimensional limits from the Article 43 tables.
Last verified Oct 2026. All 18 values shown were checked against Article 43 in the enacted text of the Municode Boston Zoning Code (current through Text Amd. No. 503, Sept 14, 2026). Article 43 was repealed and re-enacted by Text Amd. No. 496 (effective July 13, 2026). The new article sets no FAR limits. The SKY-LOW-CT subdistrict follows Article 31 (Skyline Districts), which is not shown here. Max. floor plate: 1,500 sq ft (R-1), 2,500 (CC), 25,000 (R-10). Heights are in feet. Source: Boston Zoning Code, Article 43.
Subdistricts
| Map code | Subdistrict type |
|---|---|
| R-1 | R-1 |
| R-10 | R-10 |
| CC | CC |
| SKY-LOW-CT | SKY-LOW-CT |
| AIR | AIR |
| OS-UP | Urban Plaza Open Space (mapped subdistrict; no dimensional table on this page) |
| OS-RC | Recreation Open Space (mapped subdistrict; no dimensional table on this page) |
Table B — Dimensional Regulations
| Requirement | R-1 | CC | R-10 (also applies to the AIR Air Rights Subdistrict) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max. building height (ft) | 45 ft | 80 ft | 155 ftStepback at 70 ft (or the height of an abutting Historic Building); floor plates above the stepback max. 15,000 sq ft |
| Max. building lot coverage (%) | 75 | 95 | 8585% for lots up to 25,000 sq ft; 70% for larger lots |
| Min. permeable lot area (%) | none | none | 15Lots over 25,000 sq ft |
| Min. front yard (ft) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Min. side yard (ft) | 3Without a party wall; 0 with a party wall. May be 0 through Article 80 review | 5Without a party wall; 0 with a party wall. May be 0 through Article 80 review | 5Without a party wall; 0 with a party wall. May be 0 through Article 80 review |
| Min. rear yard (ft) | 10 | 5May be 0 through Article 80 review | 5May be 0 through Article 80 review |
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 43.
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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.