Zoning districts · Article 68
South Boston Neighborhood District zoning
South Boston Neighborhood District is governed by Article 68 of the Boston Zoning Code. It covers about 5,725 parcels across 9 subdistricts. Below are the dimensional limits and off-street parking ratios from the Article 68 tables.
Last verified Oct 2026. All 110 values checked against the Article 68 tables in the official Boston Zoning Code text published on Municode. Source: Boston Zoning Code, Article 68.
Subdistricts
| Map code | Subdistrict type | Parcels |
|---|---|---|
| D St. NDA | Neighborhood Development Area | 17 |
| E St. LI | Local Industrial | 6 |
| First St. LI | Local Industrial | 22 |
| MFR | Multifamily Residential | 4,908 |
| MFR/LS | Multifamily Residential/Local Services | 730 |
| OS-P | Parkland Open Space | 7 |
| SUMMER ST. LI | Local Industrial | 6 |
| WC | Waterfront Commercial | 4 |
| WM | Waterfront Manufacturing | 25 |
Parcel counts come from City of Boston 2025 parcel data and BPDA zoning subdistrict boundaries, matched by Stratum. Each lot is counted in the subdistrict that contains it; road, rail and water strips are excluded. Open-space and other subdistricts not listed above are included in the district total.
Table D — Residential Subdistricts Dimensional Regulations
| Requirement | MFR | MFR/LS |
|---|---|---|
| Max. floor area ratio (FAR) | 2.0 | 1.5 |
| Max. height | 40 ft | 35 ft |
| Min. lot area (sq ft) | 2,000 | 5,000 |
| Add'l lot area per dwelling unit (sq ft) | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| Min. lot width (ft) | 20 | 20 |
| Min. lot frontage (ft) | 20 | 20 |
| Min. usable open space per dwelling unit (sq ft) | 200 | 200 |
| Min. front yard (ft) | 5 | 5 |
| Min. side yard (ft) | 3 | 3 |
| Min. rear yard (ft) | 20 | 20 |
| Max. rear yard occupancy (%) | 25 | 25 |
Table E — Neighborhood Development Areas Dimensional Regulations
| Requirement | D Street Neighborhood Development Area | First Street Neighborhood Development Area |
|---|---|---|
| Max. floor area ratio (FAR) | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Max. height | 65 ft | 35 ft(1)(2) |
| Min. lot area (sq ft) | none | none |
| Add'l lot area per dwelling unit (sq ft) | N/A | N/A |
| Min. lot width (ft) | none | none |
| Min. lot frontage (ft) | none | none |
| Min. usable open space per dwelling unit (sq ft) | 200 | 200 |
| Min. front yard (ft) | 5(3) | 5(3) |
| Min. side yard (ft) | 3 | 3 |
| Min. rear yard (ft) | none | 20 |
Table F — Local Industrial and Waterfront Subdistricts Dimensional Regulations
| Requirement | E Street Local Industrial Subdistrict | First Street Local Industrial Subdistricts | Summer Street Local Industrial Subdistricts | Waterfront Commercial Subdistrict | Waterfront Manufacturing Subdistrict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max. floor area ratio (FAR) | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Max. height | 65 ft | 45 ft(3) | 50 ft | 65 ft | 65 ft(2) |
| Min. lot area (sq ft) | none | none | none | none | none |
| Add'l lot area per dwelling unit (sq ft) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Min. lot width (ft) | none | none | none | none | none |
| Min. lot frontage (ft) | none | none | none | none | none |
| Min. usable open space per dwelling unit (sq ft) | none | none | none | none | none |
| Min. front yard (ft) | 5(1) | 5(1) | 5(1) | none | 5(1) |
| Min. side yard (ft) | none | none | none | none | none |
| Min. rear yard (ft) | none | none | none | none | none |
Table G — Off-Street Parking Requirements
| Use | Ratio |
|---|---|
| Banking and Postal Uses | 1.0 |
| Community Uses | 1.0 |
| Elementary or Secondary School | 0.7 |
| Health Care Uses | 1.0 |
| Industrial Uses | 0.5 |
| Kindergarten | 0.7 |
| Office Uses | 2.0 |
| Other Educational Uses | 1.0 |
| All other Public Service Uses | 0 |
| Fire Station | 1.0 |
| Police Station | 1.0 |
| Research and Development Uses | 0.5 |
| Retail Uses | 2.0 |
| Service and Trade Uses | 2.0 |
| Storage Uses, Major | 0.5 |
| Transportation Uses | 0.25 |
| Vehicular Uses | 0.5 |
| Wholesale Uses | 0.25 |
Ratios as listed in Table G. The unit each ratio applies to (dwelling units or floor area) is set out in the Code table.
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 68. The article also includes district-wide rules on roof structure restrictions.
See what fits on a South Boston lot
Pull a real parcel into Stratum by address, see its setbacks and buildable area, and sketch to scale on the same canvas.
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.