What's the difference between D1 and D2 zoning in Ann Arbor?

D1 (Downtown Core) is Ann Arbor's most intensive downtown district, allowing the tallest buildings and highest floor-area ratios, with additional premium FAR available through incentive provisions. D2 (Downtown Interface) is a lower-intensity transitional district that buffers the D1 core from adjacent residential neighborhoods.

What does R4C zoning mean in Ann Arbor?

R4C is one of Ann Arbor's multi-family dwelling districts, permitting higher-density apartment and multi-unit development than the R4A district, and is common in neighborhoods near central campus and downtown.

How do I find the zoning for an address in Ann Arbor?

Ann Arbor's Planning & Development Services unit maintains an online GIS zoning map covering every parcel; cross-reference the result against the zoning ordinance's use and dimensional tables for that district.

Ann Arbor, Michigan · city zoning districts · 11 districts

Ann Arbor, MI zoning map & districts

Ann Arbor's zoning ordinance is administered by the city's Planning & Development Services unit, with the Planning Commission reviewing rezonings and site plans and the Zoning Board of Appeals hearing variances. University of Michigan-driven housing demand has pushed active infill and mixed-use rezoning pressure near downtown and central campus.

The code City of Ann Arbor Zoning Ordinance

Ann Arbor zoning map

Ann Arbor's Planning & Development Services unit publishes the zoning ordinance and an online GIS zoning map; the Planning Commission reviews rezonings and site plans, and the Zoning Board of Appeals hears variances.

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

Downtown itself is governed by a distinct D1/D2 framework adopted via the city's 2009 downtown plan: D1 (Downtown Core) allows the city's most intensive development with premium FAR available through incentive provisions, while D2 (Downtown Interface) is a lower-intensity transitional district buffering the core from adjacent residential neighborhoods.

Ann Arbor zoning districts by family

The 11 district codes below are the ones that decide most projects in Ann Arbor, grouped by what they are for rather than by the order the ordinance prints them.

Key districts in the City of Ann Arbor Zoning Ordinance — a curated reference, not the exhaustive list. Confirm against the current adopted code.
Code	District	What it is for
Residential 7 districts
R1A	Single-Family Dwelling	Largest minimum lot size among Ann Arbor's single-family districts.
R1B	Single-Family Dwelling	Single-family district with a smaller minimum lot size than R1A.
R1C	Single-Family Dwelling	Ann Arbor's smallest-lot single-family district.
R2A	Two-Family Dwelling	Duplex district permitting two dwelling units per lot.
R3	Townhouse Dwelling	Attached townhouse-style development.
R4A	Multi-Family Dwelling	Lower-density multifamily district.
R4C	Multi-Family Dwelling	Higher-density multifamily district, common near central campus and downtown-adjacent neighborhoods.
Commercial 1 district
C1	Local Business	Neighborhood commercial corridor district.
Downtown / core 2 districts
D1	Downtown Core	Ann Arbor's most intensive downtown district, with premium floor-area-ratio available through incentive provisions.
D2	Downtown Interface	Lower-intensity transitional downtown district buffering the D1 core from adjacent residential neighborhoods.
Industrial 1 district
M1	Limited Industrial	Light industrial and production uses.

Ann Arbor zoning — common questions

What's the difference between D1 and D2 zoning in Ann Arbor?: D1 (Downtown Core) is Ann Arbor's most intensive downtown district, allowing the tallest buildings and highest floor-area ratios, with additional premium FAR available through incentive provisions. D2 (Downtown Interface) is a lower-intensity transitional district that buffers the D1 core from adjacent residential neighborhoods.
What does R4C zoning mean in Ann Arbor?: R4C is one of Ann Arbor's multi-family dwelling districts, permitting higher-density apartment and multi-unit development than the R4A district, and is common in neighborhoods near central campus and downtown.
How do I find the zoning for an address in Ann Arbor?: Ann Arbor's Planning & Development Services unit maintains an online GIS zoning map covering every parcel; cross-reference the result against the zoning ordinance's use and dimensional tables for that district.

Working in Michigan? 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 Michigan opens, and sooner if we need a test parcel.

Keep reading

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

Other Michigan cities

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

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