Zoning districts · Article 64
South End Neighborhood District zoning
South End Neighborhood District is governed by Article 64 of the Boston Zoning Code. It covers about 2,690 parcels across 15 subdistricts. Below are the dimensional limits and off-street parking ratios from the Article 64 tables.
Last verified Oct 2026. All 101 values shown were checked against Article 64 of the Boston Zoning Code. Every table was checked against the official Boston Zoning Code text published on Municode (current through Text Amd. No. 503, Sept 14, 2026); Tables E, F, G and H were also checked against the BPDA Article 64 PDF. Table D (residential subdistricts) is from the official Municode text, current through Text Amd. No. 503 (Sept 14, 2026); the BPDA PDF does not include it as text. Heights are in feet. Street wall heights for the EDA subareas in Table G are held back: the official table layout does not let us confirm which subarea each figure belongs to. Source: Boston Zoning Code, Article 64.
Subdistricts
| Map code | Subdistrict type | Parcels |
|---|---|---|
| MFR | Multifamily Residential | 1,997 |
| MFR/LS | Multifamily Residential/Local Services | 329 |
| CF | Community Facilities | 13 |
| CC | Community Commercial | 21 |
| Washington St. NDA | Neighborhood Development Area | 110 |
| IS | Institutional | 33 |
| EDA North | Economic Development Area | 31 |
| EDA Central | Economic Development Area | 36 |
| EDA South | Economic Development Area | 48 |
| EDA BioSquare | Economic Development Area | 11 |
| OS-P | Parkland Open Space | 29 |
| OS-RC | Recreation Open Space | 13 |
| OS-G | Community Garden Open Space | 11 |
| OS-UP | Urban Plaza Open Space | 7 |
| OS-CM | Cemetery Open Space | 1 |
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 and MFR/LS (row house or town house building) | MFR and MFR/LS (any other dwelling or use) |
|---|---|---|
| Max. floor area ratio (FAR) | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Max. building height | 70 ft | 70 ft |
| Min. lot area (sq ft) | none | none |
| Add'l lot area per dwelling unit (sq ft) | none | none |
| Min. lot width (ft) | none | none |
| Min. lot frontage (ft) | none | none |
| Min. usable open space per dwelling unit (sq ft) | 200(b) | 200(b) |
| Min. front yard (ft) | see note(c)See Section 64-37.1 (Conformity with Existing Building Alignment); a bay window may protrude into a front yard | see note(c)See Section 64-37.1 (Conformity with Existing Building Alignment); a bay window may protrude into a front yard |
| Min. side yard (ft) | none | none |
| Min. rear yard (ft) | 20 | 20 |
| Max. rear yard occupancy (%) | 25 | 25 |
- (b) Applicable only to Residential Uses and Dormitory/Fraternity Uses.
- (c) See Section 64-37.1 (Conformity with Existing Building Alignment). A bay window may protrude into a front yard.
Table E — Community Facilities and Community Commercial Subdistricts Dimensional Regulations
| Requirement | Community Facilities | Community Commercial |
|---|---|---|
| Max. floor area ratio (FAR) | 4.0(2) | 4.0(2) |
| Max. building height | 70 ft(2) | 70 ft(2) |
| Min. lot area (sq ft) | none | none |
| Add'l lot area per dwelling unit (sq ft) | none | none |
| 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) | none(3) | none(3) |
| Min. side yard (ft) | none(4)Side yards as in the abutting district where a side lot line abuts a Residential Subdistrict | none(4)Side yards as in the abutting district where a side lot line abuts a Residential Subdistrict |
| Min. rear yard (ft) | 20(5) | 20(5) |
- (2) For Planned Development Areas, see Section 64-29 for maximum height and FAR.
- (3) Front yards must be at sidewalk grade; no below-grade plaza or terrace without Board of Appeal approval.
- (4) No side yard unless a side lot line abuts a Residential Subdistrict.
- (5) Rear yard level limits apply where it does not abut a street.
Table F — Neighborhood Development Area and Institutional Subdistricts Dimensional Regulations
| Requirement | Washington Street Neighborhood Development Area | Institutional |
|---|---|---|
| Max. floor area ratio (FAR) | 3.0(2) | 4.0(2) |
| Max. building height | 70 ft(2) | 120 ft(2) |
| Min. lot area (sq ft) | noneOther uses; residential uses follow Table D (MFR, MFR/LS) | noneOther uses; residential uses follow Table D (MFR, MFR/LS) |
| Min. lot width (ft) | none | none |
| Min. lot frontage (ft) | none | none |
| Min. front yard (ft) | none | none |
| Min. side yard (ft) | none | none |
| Min. rear yard (ft) | 20(4) | 20(4) |
- (2) For Planned Development Areas, see Section 64-29 for maximum height and FAR.
- (4) Rear yard for projects under Large Project Review is set through that review.
Table G — Economic Development Areas Dimensional Regulations
| Requirement | EDA North | EDA Central | EDA South | EDA BioSquare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max. floor area ratio (FAR) | 4.0(2) | 4.0(2) | 4.0(2) | 4.0(2) |
| Max. building height | 100 ft | 70 ft(4)100 ft within 165 ft of the Albany Street right-of-way (see footnote) | 70 ft(5)Up to 100, 110 or 150 ft in mapped areas near Albany Street (see footnote) | 110 ft(6)150 ft beyond 100 ft east of the Albany Street centerline |
| Min. lot area (sq ft) | none | none | none | none |
| Min. lot width (ft) | none | none | none | none |
| Min. lot frontage (ft) | none | none | none | none |
| Min. usable open space per dwelling unit (sq ft) | 50(12) | 50(12) | 50(12) | 50(12) |
| Min. front yard (ft) | none(8)10 ft along the north side of Traveler Street | none(9)10 ft along Albany Street | none(10)10 ft along the north side of East Canton Street | none |
| Min. side yard (ft) | none | none | none | none |
| Min. rear yard (ft) | 20(11) | 20(11) | 20(11) | 20(11) |
- (2) For Planned Development Areas, see Section 64-29 for maximum height and FAR.
- (11) Rear yard for projects under Large Project Review is set through that review.
- (12) Usable open space may be met on balconies or suitable roofs.
Table H — Off-Street Parking Requirements (Residential and Related Uses)
| Use | Ratio |
|---|---|
| Dormitory/Fraternity Uses | 0.5(2)(3) |
| Hotel and Conference Center Uses | 0.7(6) |
| Elderly Housing | 0.5(3) |
| Group Residence, Limited | 0.5(3) |
| Lodging House | 0.5(3) |
| Transitional Housing or Homeless Shelter | 0.25(3) |
| Other Residential Uses | 0.7(3)(4)(5)(6)(7) |
Spaces per dwelling unit, as listed in Table H. Table H does not apply to projects subject to Large Project Review (Section 64-33). Footnote 6: outside the Economic Development Areas, hotel and conference center uses need 0.3 to 0.5 spaces, and other residential uses are capped at 1.0. Footnote 7 (Text Amd. 482, 2025): no parking is required where at least 60% of units are at or below 100% of AMI.
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 64.
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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.