Why is Quincy Center zoned for high-rises?

The city rezoned its downtown into a high-density mixed-use framework adopted to support transit-oriented redevelopment around the Quincy Center Red Line station, which is why a cluster of residential and mixed-use towers has risen there over the past decade.

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

Quincy's Planning Department maintains an online GIS zoning map; use it to confirm whether a parcel falls inside the downtown zoning district or one of the city's standard residential or commercial base districts.

What is Quincy zoning like outside downtown?

Outside downtown, most of the city remains lower-density residential and neighborhood-commercial zoning typical of an older Boston streetcar suburb, though waterfront areas like Marina Bay carry their own development standards.

Quincy, Massachusetts · city zoning districts · 8 districts

Quincy, MA zoning map & districts

Quincy's zoning ordinance is administered by the city's Planning Department, with the Zoning Board of Appeals and Planning Board handling variances, special permits, and site plan review. The city's biggest zoning story of the past decade is downtown: a targeted rezoning around Quincy Center, home to an MBTA Red Line station, replaced older low-rise commercial standards with a high-density, transit-oriented mixed-use framework, driving a wave of high-rise residential and mixed-use towers within walking distance of the T.

The code Quincy Zoning Ordinance

Quincy zoning map

Quincy's Planning Department publishes the zoning ordinance and an online GIS zoning map; the Zoning Board of Appeals and Planning Board handle variances, special permits, and site plan review.

There is no link to the official map here yet — confirm current district boundaries directly with the Quincy 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 Quincy

Outside that downtown core, Quincy remains predominantly lower-density residential and neighborhood-commercial, consistent with its history as a streetcar suburb of Boston.

Quincy zoning districts by family

The 8 district codes below are the ones that decide most projects in Quincy, grouped by what they are for rather than by the order the ordinance prints them.

Key districts in the Quincy Zoning Ordinance — a curated reference, not the exhaustive list. Confirm against the current adopted code.
Code	District	What it is for
Residential 3 districts
Res. A	Residence A District	Lowest-density single-family district.
Res. B	Residence B District	Standard single-family district.
Res. C	Residence C District	Allows two-family and small multifamily buildings.
Commercial 3 districts
Bus. A	Business A District	Neighborhood-scale business district.
Bus. B	Business B District	General business district along corridors.
Bus. C	Business C District	Quincy's most intensive business district.
Industrial 2 districts
Ind. A	Industrial A District	Lighter-intensity industrial uses.
Ind. B	Industrial B District	Heavier industrial uses.

Quincy zoning — common questions

Why is Quincy Center zoned for high-rises?: The city rezoned its downtown into a high-density mixed-use framework adopted to support transit-oriented redevelopment around the Quincy Center Red Line station, which is why a cluster of residential and mixed-use towers has risen there over the past decade.
How do I find the zoning for an address in Quincy?: Quincy's Planning Department maintains an online GIS zoning map; use it to confirm whether a parcel falls inside the downtown zoning district or one of the city's standard residential or commercial base districts.
What is Quincy zoning like outside downtown?: Outside downtown, most of the city remains lower-density residential and neighborhood-commercial zoning typical of an older Boston streetcar suburb, though waterfront areas like Marina Bay carry their own development standards.

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

Keep reading

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

Other Massachusetts cities

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

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