What does R-UC zoning mean in Shreveport?

R-UC (Urban Core Residential) is a Shreveport UDC district tailored to the city's older, walkable neighborhoods, permitting closely-spaced residential development consistent with historic urban block patterns.

How do I find the zoning for an address in Shreveport?

The Shreveport-Caddo Metropolitan Planning Commission maintains the official zoning map under the Unified Development Code; parcel zoning can be confirmed through the MPC's office or GIS mapping tools.

How is downtown Shreveport zoned?

Downtown falls under the parent D-1 Downtown district, which is subdivided into six form-based sub-districts — including D-1-CBD (Core), Entertainment, and Arts and Culture — each with its own building-form standards rather than a separate conventional zoning district.

Shreveport, Louisiana · city zoning districts · 17 districts

Shreveport, LA zoning map & districts

Shreveport adopted a Unified Development Code (UDC), consolidating zoning, subdivision, and sign regulations into a single code administered jointly with the Shreveport-Caddo Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC). The UDC replaced an older Euclidean ordinance with a mix of conventional use districts and character-based residential categories — including Urban Core (R-UC) and Highland Urban Conservation (R-HU) districts tailored to Shreveport's older, walkable neighborhoods.

The code Unified Development Code

Shreveport zoning map

The Shreveport-Caddo Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) administers the UDC; the official zoning map and district descriptions are published through the MPC's office and GIS mapping tools.

There is no link to the official map here yet — confirm current district boundaries directly with the Shreveport planning or zoning department.

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 Shreveport

Downtown is governed by a single parent Downtown district (D-1) subdivided into six form-based sub-districts — Core, Entertainment, Commercial Mixed-Use, Residential Mixed-Use, Arts and Culture, and Heavy Commercial — each with tailored building-form standards rather than a separate conventional zoning district.

Shreveport zoning districts by family

The 17 district codes below are the ones that decide most projects in Shreveport, grouped by what they are for rather than by the order the ordinance prints them.

Key districts in the Unified Development Code — a curated reference, not the exhaustive list. Confirm against the current adopted code.
Code	District	What it is for
Residential 6 districts
R-1-7	Single-Family Residential	7,000-square-foot minimum lot size, one of three standard-lot single-family districts (R-1-12/-7/-5).
R-2	Multi-Family Residential	Duplex and lower-density multi-family housing.
R-3	Multi-Family Residential	Moderate-density multi-family housing.
R-4	High-Rise Residential	The highest-density multi-family and high-rise residential district.
R-TH	Townhouse Residential	Attached townhouse development.
R-UC	Urban Core Residential	Walkable, closely-spaced residential typical of Shreveport's older urban neighborhoods.
Mixed-use 1 district
OR	Office Research	Office and research-park uses.
Commercial 4 districts
C-1	Neighborhood Commercial	Small-scale retail and services serving nearby residential areas.
C-2	Corridor Commercial	Commercial uses along major corridors.
C-3	General Commercial	General-purpose commercial uses.
C-4	Heavy Commercial	Higher-intensity commercial uses.
Downtown / core 2 districts
D-1	Downtown	Parent downtown district with six form-based sub-districts, including Core, Entertainment, and Arts and Culture.
D-1-CBD	Downtown Core Sub-District	Shreveport's most intensive downtown sub-district.
Industrial 3 districts
I-1	Light Industrial	Light manufacturing and distribution uses.
I-2	Heavy Industrial	Heavier manufacturing and industrial uses.
I-MU	Industrial Mixed-Use	Industrial uses combined with limited commercial or office space.
Special purpose 1 district
IC	Institutional Campus	Applied to hospital, university, and similar institutional campuses.

Shreveport zoning — common questions

What does R-UC zoning mean in Shreveport?: R-UC (Urban Core Residential) is a Shreveport UDC district tailored to the city's older, walkable neighborhoods, permitting closely-spaced residential development consistent with historic urban block patterns.
How do I find the zoning for an address in Shreveport?: The Shreveport-Caddo Metropolitan Planning Commission maintains the official zoning map under the Unified Development Code; parcel zoning can be confirmed through the MPC's office or GIS mapping tools.
How is downtown Shreveport zoned?: Downtown falls under the parent D-1 Downtown district, which is subdivided into six form-based sub-districts — including D-1-CBD (Core), Entertainment, and Arts and Culture — each with its own building-form standards rather than a separate conventional zoning district.

Working in Louisiana? Get on the list.

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 Louisiana opens, and sooner if we need a test parcel.

Keep reading

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

Other Louisiana cities

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

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