Does Grand Rapids use form-based zoning?

Grand Rapids has incorporated form-based standards — regulating building placement, height, and street-facing design in addition to use — into its zoning for downtown and many of its traditional commercial corridors, as part of an effort to enable walkable infill without case-by-case planned-unit-development review.

How do I find the zoning for an address in Grand Rapids?

The city's Planning Department maintains an online GIS zoning map; use it to confirm the district for a parcel, then check the zoning ordinance for the applicable use and form standards.

Who approves a rezoning in Grand Rapids?

Rezonings and special land use requests go through the Grand Rapids Planning Commission, with variances from dimensional standards handled separately by the Board of Zoning Appeals.

Grand Rapids, Michigan · city zoning districts · 13 districts

Grand Rapids, MI zoning map & districts

Grand Rapids' zoning ordinance is administered by the city's Planning Department, with the Planning Commission reviewing rezonings and special land use approvals and the Board of Zoning Appeals hearing variances. West Michigan's largest city has pursued an active form-based and mixed-use rezoning agenda downtown and along its traditional commercial corridors over the past two decades, aimed at enabling denser, walkable infill without relying on case-by-case planned-unit-development approvals.

The code City of Grand Rapids Zoning Ordinance

Grand Rapids zoning map

Grand Rapids' Planning Department publishes the zoning ordinance and an online GIS zoning map; the Planning Commission handles rezonings and special land use approvals, and the Board of Zoning Appeals hears variances.

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

Developers should expect downtown and near-downtown parcels to carry more prescriptive, form-based standards (governing building placement and street-facing design as much as use), while outlying residential neighborhoods remain governed by more conventional use-based districts.

Grand Rapids zoning districts by family

The 13 district codes below are the ones that decide most projects in Grand Rapids, grouped by what they are for rather than by the order the ordinance prints them.

Key districts in the City of Grand Rapids Zoning Ordinance — a curated reference, not the exhaustive list. Confirm against the current adopted code.
Code	District	What it is for
Residential 2 districts
LDR	Low-Density Residential	Base district for single-family and lower-density housing.
MDR	Mixed-Density Residential	Base district allowing a mix of housing types at moderate density.
Commercial 4 districts
TBA	Traditional Business Area	Walkable, Main-Street-scale commercial district in traditional neighborhood centers.
TCC	Traditional City Corridor	Mixed-intensity corridor district along traditional commercial streets.
C	Corridor	General commercial corridor district.
C-A	Corridor (Auto-Oriented)	Auto-oriented variant of the Corridor commercial district.
Downtown / core 2 districts
CC	City Center	Grand Rapids' most intensive downtown district.
TOD	Transit-Oriented District	Higher-density district supporting development near transit.
Industrial 1 district
SD-IT	Industrial-Transportation	Special district for rail- and freight-oriented industrial uses.
Special purpose 4 districts
NOS	Neighborhood Open Space	Small-scale open space and recreation within neighborhoods.
SD-IC	Institutional Campus	Special district for hospital- or university-scale institutional campuses.
SD-OS	Open Space	Parks and permanently protected open space.
SD-PRD	Planned Redevelopment District	Negotiated special district for larger redevelopment sites.

Grand Rapids zoning — common questions

Does Grand Rapids use form-based zoning?: Grand Rapids has incorporated form-based standards — regulating building placement, height, and street-facing design in addition to use — into its zoning for downtown and many of its traditional commercial corridors, as part of an effort to enable walkable infill without case-by-case planned-unit-development review.
How do I find the zoning for an address in Grand Rapids?: The city's Planning Department maintains an online GIS zoning map; use it to confirm the district for a parcel, then check the zoning ordinance for the applicable use and form standards.
Who approves a rezoning in Grand Rapids?: Rezonings and special land use requests go through the Grand Rapids Planning Commission, with variances from dimensional standards handled separately by the Board of Zoning Appeals.

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.

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