Chicago zoning comparison · the core high-rise districts
DX-12 vs DX-16: which lets you build more?
DX-16 carries the larger envelope — FAR 16 vs 12; on a standard 25 × 125 ft Chicago lot, DX-16 permits 31 units by right against 27.
Figures read from the City-published text of Title 17, chapter 17-4, on 6 June 2026. Data snapshot generated 2026-08-24. How this data is produced and checked →
Side by side
| DX-12 Downtown Mixed-Use 12 | DX-16 Downtown Mixed-Use 16 | |
|---|---|---|
| Max FAR | 12 | 16 |
| Max height | — | — |
| Lot area per unit | 115 sf | 100 sf |
| Units on a standard 25×125 ft lot | 27 | 31 |
| Min lot area | 2,500 sf | 2,500 sf |
| Residential parking / unit | 0.25 | 0.2 |
| Max lot coverage | 100% | 100% |
| Permitted uses | multi-unit residential, mixed-use buildings, offices and ground-floor retail | multi-unit residential, mixed-use buildings, offices and ground-floor retail |
| Connected Communities bulk bonus tier | No | No |
Green marks the more permissive value. Setbacks are contextual in both districts and omitted here — see the district pages for the working scalars and the governing formulas.