Zoning districts · Article 42A
Harborpark: North End/Downtown Waterfront and Dorchester Bay/Neponset River Waterfront zoning
Harborpark: North End/Downtown Waterfront and Dorchester Bay/Neponset River Waterfront is governed by Article 42A of the Boston Zoning Code. It has 28 subdistrict types. Below are the height and floor area ratio limits set out in the Article 42A text.
Last verified Oct 2026. All 32 values shown were checked against Article 42A in the Municode Boston Zoning Code (current through Text Amd. No. 503, Sept 14, 2026). Height zones are shown on Map 1F. In the Downtown Waterfront, height is measured from the higher of the Sea Level Rise Design Flood Elevation or the surrounding grade. Chapter 91, open space and Waterfront Yard rules also apply. Heights are in feet. Source: Boston Zoning Code, Article 42A.
Subdistricts
| Map code | Subdistrict type |
|---|---|
| Downtown Waterfront — Height Zone A | Downtown Waterfront — Height Zone A |
| Downtown Waterfront — Height Zone B | Downtown Waterfront — Height Zone B |
| Downtown Waterfront — Height Zone C | Downtown Waterfront — Height Zone C |
| Downtown Waterfront — Height Zone D | Downtown Waterfront — Height Zone D |
| Downtown Waterfront — Height Zone E | Downtown Waterfront — Height Zone E |
| Downtown Waterfront — Height Zone F | Downtown Waterfront — Height Zone F |
| North End Waterfront | North End Waterfront |
| North End Local Business (L-2-55 rules) | North End Local Business (L-2-55 rules) |
| Dorchester Bay Waterfront Service (WS-1-35 rules) | Dorchester Bay Waterfront Service (WS-1-35 rules) |
| Clam Point Waterfront Service (WS-1-35 rules) | Clam Point Waterfront Service (WS-1-35 rules) |
| Cedar Grove Waterfront Manufacturing (WM-1-35 rules) | Cedar Grove Waterfront Manufacturing (WM-1-35 rules) |
| Neponset Circle Waterfront Manufacturing (WM-35 rules) | Neponset Circle Waterfront Manufacturing (WM-35 rules) |
| South Boston Maritime Economy Reserve (MER-2-55 rules) | South Boston Maritime Economy Reserve (MER-2-55 rules) |
| Cedar Grove General Business (B-1-35 rules) | Cedar Grove General Business (B-1-35 rules) |
| Neponset River Residential (H-1-35 rules) | Neponset River Residential (H-1-35 rules) |
| Cedar Grove Residential (R-.5-35 rules) | Cedar Grove Residential (R-.5-35 rules) |
| Pilot House Extension | Pilot House Extension (mapped subdistrict, Map 1E/1F; no dimensional table on this page) |
| North End Playground Recreation Open Space | North End Playground Recreation Open Space (mapped subdistrict, Map 1E/1F; no dimensional table on this page) |
| Castle Island/Columbus Park Shoreland Open Space | Castle Island/Columbus Park Shoreland Open Space (mapped subdistrict, Maps 4B/4C, 4C/4D; no dimensional table on this page) |
| Lower Mills Shoreland Open Space | Lower Mills Shoreland Open Space (mapped subdistrict, Map 5H; no dimensional table on this page) |
| Neponset Shoreland Open Space | Neponset Shoreland Open Space (mapped subdistrict, Map 5H; no dimensional table on this page) |
| Columbia Point H-2-55 | Columbia Point Special Study Overlay Area — H-2-55 (regulated by the Code provisions for H-2-55 districts per §42A-22; Map 4C/4D; no dimensional table on this page) |
| Columbia Point H-2-D-65 | Columbia Point Special Study Overlay Area — H-2-D-65 (regulated by the Code provisions for H-2-D-65 districts per §42A-22; Map 4C/4D; no dimensional table on this page) |
| Columbia Point I-2-D-65 | Columbia Point Special Study Overlay Area — I-2-D-65 (regulated by the Code provisions for I-2-D-65 districts per §42A-22; Map 4C/4D; no dimensional table on this page) |
| Columbia Point B-1-55 | Columbia Point Special Study Overlay Area — B-1-55 (regulated by the Code provisions for B-1-55 districts per §42A-22; Map 4C/4D; no dimensional table on this page) |
| Columbia Point M-1-55 | Columbia Point Special Study Overlay Area — M-1-55 (regulated by the Code provisions for M-1-55 districts per §42A-22; Map 4C/4D; no dimensional table on this page) |
| Savin Hill Shoreland Open Space | Savin Hill Shoreland Open Space (OS-SL; mapped subdistrict, Map 5F/5G; Table D of Art. 42A; no dimensional table on this page) |
| Victory Park Shoreland Open Space | Victory Park Shoreland Open Space (OS-SL; mapped subdistrict, Map 5F/5G; Table D of Art. 42A; no dimensional table on this page) |
Sections 42A-12 to 42A-14 and 42A-19 to 42A-21 — Maximum Building Height and FAR
| Requirement | Downtown Waterfront — Height Zone A | Downtown Waterfront — Height Zone B | Downtown Waterfront — Height Zone C | Downtown Waterfront — Height Zone D | Downtown Waterfront — Height Zone E | Downtown Waterfront — Height Zone F | North End Waterfront | North End Local Business (L-2-55 rules) | Dorchester Bay Waterfront Service (WS-1-35 rules) | Clam Point Waterfront Service (WS-1-35 rules) | Cedar Grove Waterfront Manufacturing (WM-1-35 rules) | Neponset Circle Waterfront Manufacturing (WM-35 rules) | South Boston Maritime Economy Reserve (MER-2-55 rules) | Cedar Grove General Business (B-1-35 rules) | Neponset River Residential (H-1-35 rules) | Cedar Grove Residential (R-.5-35 rules) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max. building height (ft) | none allowed ftNo buildings, except buildings permitted in Open Space (Section 42A-6) | 55 ft | 110 ft | 125 ft | 155 ft | 175 ftUp to 285 ft under the same conditions | 55 ft | 55 ft | 35 ft | 35 ft | 35 ft | 35 ftExcept cranes or other mechanical devices required for the allowed use | 55 ftExcept cranes, silos, storage facilities or other devices used to transfer goods between land and vessels or to process them | 35 ft | 35 ft | 35 ft |
| Max. floor area ratio (FAR) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 Up to 15 for a project with at least 30% of the lot as Open Space, a 12 ft Waterfront Yard, Large Project Review certification and a BRA finding of consistency with the Harborpark Plan and the Downtown Waterfront Municipal Harbor Plan | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
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 42A.
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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.