What does D-1 zoning mean in Birmingham?

D-1 is Birmingham's lowest-density single-family Dwelling district, one of three graduated single-family classes (D-1 through D-3) under the current Zoning Ordinance. It's a common designation across the city's traditional single-family neighborhoods.

How do I find the zoning for a parcel in Birmingham?

Check GISWeb, the interactive zoning map maintained by the Planning, Engineering & Permits Department, which reflects current district boundaries. Recently annexed or rezoned parcels should be confirmed directly with PEP rather than relying solely on third-party map mirrors.

What is MU-D zoning in Birmingham?

MU-D is the Mixed-Use Downtown district, covering downtown Birmingham and permitting the city's most intensive mix of residential, commercial, and office development. It sits at the top of the city's tiered Mixed-Use series (MU-L, MU-M, MU-H, MU-D).

Birmingham, Alabama · city zoning districts · 14 districts

Birmingham, AL zoning map & districts

Birmingham zones under a citywide Zoning Ordinance administered by the Planning, Engineering & Permits (PEP) Department. The current district structure is organized into an Agriculture district (AG); graduated single-family and multifamily Dwelling districts (D-1 through D-5); Character districts covering an Urban Neighborhood (UN) class and a tiered Mixed-Use series (MU-L, MU-M, MU-H, MU-D) running from low intensity up to a downtown-scale district; Commercial districts (C-1, C-2); Manufacturing and Industrial districts (I-1 through I-4); and Specific Plan districts — Health and Institutional (HID), Planned Recreational (PRD), and Planned Mixed Use (MXD) — for larger negotiated projects.

The code City of Birmingham Zoning Ordinance

Birmingham zoning map

The interactive map needs JavaScript. See the official City of Birmingham GISWEB instead.

Residential 30
Industrial 20
Commercial 18
Special purpose 8
Mixed-use 5
Downtown / core 3
Other / unclassified 2

Source: City of Birmingham GISWEB, retrieved 2026-08-30. Basemap: © OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Find a district by address

District lookup only. No bulk standards and no ordinance citations are held for this city yet. Not a zoning verification.

Source: the official City of Birmingham GISWEB , retrieved 2026-08-30 — the authoritative source for current boundaries.

The Planning, Engineering & Permits Department maintains Birmingham's official zoning map (GISWeb) and publishes the current Zoning Ordinance directly on the city website.

A published summary is never the authority. The adopted ordinance and the city's official zoning map govern, and both change — verify the district and every standard on your parcel before you rely on it.

How zoning works in Birmingham

As Alabama's largest city, Birmingham sees the state's heaviest volume of rezonings and planned-development requests, and PEP's zoning map is the authoritative source for current district boundaries — annexed and recently rezoned parcels can lag on third-party GIS mirrors.

Birmingham zoning districts by family

The 14 district codes below are the ones that decide most projects in Birmingham, grouped by what they are for rather than by the order the ordinance prints them.

Key districts in the City of Birmingham Zoning Ordinance — a curated reference, not the exhaustive list. Confirm against the current adopted code.
Code	District	What it is for
Residential 4 districts
D-1	Single-Family District	First of the graduated single-family Dwelling districts (D-1 through D-6).
D-3	Single-Family District	Graduated single-family Dwelling district; GIS parcel data shows this as the most-used D-code citywide (replaces unverified 'UN' district).
D-4	Medium Density Residential District	Two-family, cottage, townhouse, and small multi-family development.
D-5	Multiple Dwelling District	Medium- to high-density multifamily development, typically near transit corridors and downtown-adjacent areas.
Mixed-use 3 districts
MU-L	Mixed-Use Low District	Lowest-intensity tier of Birmingham's mixed-use district series.
MU-H	Mixed-Use High District	Higher-intensity mixed-use district for areas with enhanced transit and support services.
MXD	Planned Mixed Use District	Negotiated planned district blending residential, retail, and office uses.
Commercial 2 districts
C-1	Neighborhood Commercial District	Small-scale, walkable retail and services serving surrounding neighborhoods.
C-2	General Commercial District	Broader commercial uses along arterial corridors.
Downtown / core 1 district
MU-D	Mixed-Use Downtown District	Downtown Birmingham's mixed-use core district.
Industrial 2 districts
I-1	Light Manufacturing District	Light manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution.
I-2	Heavy Industrial District	Heavier manufacturing and industrial uses with fewer use restrictions.
Special purpose 2 districts
AG	Agriculture District	Very low-density agricultural and rural-scale land uses on large lots, often without public sewer or water service.
HID	Health and Institutional District	Specific-plan district for hospital, medical, and institutional campuses.

Birmingham zoning — common questions

What does D-1 zoning mean in Birmingham?: D-1 is Birmingham's lowest-density single-family Dwelling district, one of three graduated single-family classes (D-1 through D-3) under the current Zoning Ordinance. It's a common designation across the city's traditional single-family neighborhoods.
How do I find the zoning for a parcel in Birmingham?: Check GISWeb, the interactive zoning map maintained by the Planning, Engineering & Permits Department, which reflects current district boundaries. Recently annexed or rezoned parcels should be confirmed directly with PEP rather than relying solely on third-party map mirrors.
What is MU-D zoning in Birmingham?: MU-D is the Mixed-Use Downtown district, covering downtown Birmingham and permitting the city's most intensive mix of residential, commercial, and office development. It sits at the top of the city's tiered Mixed-Use series (MU-L, MU-M, MU-H, MU-D).

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The parcel layer lands in the order demand does. Illinois went first because that's where the deals were; the next state is decided by who tells us what they're trying to underwrite. Tell us where you're building and what you wanted to run — you'll hear from us when Alabama opens, and sooner if we need a test parcel.

Keep reading

← Alabama zoning — who holds the zoning power in Alabama, under which enabling statute, and the reforms that override local rules.

Other Alabama cities

The zoning reference → — every state, plus city-level district guides like this one.

Birmingham zoning summaries on this page are provided for information, not legal advice. Confirm every project against the current adopted code for the jurisdiction.