What is REO Town in Lansing zoning terms?

REO Town is a redeveloped mixed-use entertainment and commercial district built around the site of the former REO Motor Car Company complex, reflecting Lansing's broader push to adaptively reuse former industrial land near downtown.

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

Lansing's Department of Economic Development and Planning maintains the zoning map and ordinance text; contact the department or check the city's GIS portal to confirm a parcel's district.

Is downtown Lansing zoned for mixed use?

Yes — downtown Lansing carries mixed-use zoning intended to support ground-floor commercial with office and residential above, distinct from the city's legacy industrial districts and its predominantly single-family residential neighborhoods outside downtown.

Lansing, Michigan · city zoning districts · 14 districts

Lansing, MI zoning map & districts

As Michigan's state capital, Lansing's zoning ordinance is administered by the city's Department of Economic Development and Planning, with the Planning Board and Board of Zoning Appeals handling site plan review, special use permits, and variances. The city carries a mix of legacy industrial zoning from its automotive-manufacturing history alongside newer downtown mixed-use districts, and it has actively supported adaptive-reuse redevelopment of former industrial sites — most notably REO Town, the district built around the former REO Motor Car Company complex, now redeveloped as a mixed-use entertainment and commercial area.

The code City of Lansing Zoning Ordinance

Lansing zoning map

Lansing's Department of Economic Development and Planning publishes the zoning ordinance and administers zoning review; contact the department or check the city's GIS portal for the current zoning map. The Planning Board and Board of Zoning Appeals handle special use permits and variances.

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

Outside downtown and its redeveloping former-industrial districts, Lansing is predominantly zoned for conventional single-family and low-density residential use.

Lansing zoning districts by family

The 14 district codes below are the ones that decide most projects in Lansing, grouped by what they are for rather than by the order the ordinance prints them.

Key districts in the City of Lansing Zoning Ordinance — a curated reference, not the exhaustive list. Confirm against the current adopted code.
Code	District	What it is for
Residential 5 districts
R-1	Residential	Lowest-numbered of Lansing's standard residential districts.
R-2	Residential	Mid-tier standard residential district.
R-3	Residential	Highest-numbered of Lansing's standard residential districts.
MFR	Multi-Family Residential	Standard multifamily district.
R-AR	Adaptive Reuse Residential	District supporting residential conversion of existing non-residential buildings.
Mixed-use 4 districts
MX-C	Mixed Use Urban Corridor	Mixed-use district along Lansing's major urban corridors.
MX-1	Mixed-Use Neighborhood Center	Smaller-scale mixed-use at neighborhood nodes.
MX-2	Mixed-Use Community Center	Larger-scale mixed-use at community-serving nodes.
R-MX	Mixed Residential	Residential district permitting a mix of housing types.
Downtown / core 3 districts
DT-1	Downtown Edge	Lower-intensity edge of the downtown zoning series.
DT-2	Urban Flex	Flexible mid-intensity downtown-adjacent district.
DT-3	Downtown Core	Lansing's most intensive downtown district.
Industrial 1 district
IND-1	Industrial	Lansing's standard industrial district.
Special purpose 1 district
INST-1	Institutional	District for institutional uses such as schools and hospitals.

Lansing zoning — common questions

What is REO Town in Lansing zoning terms?: REO Town is a redeveloped mixed-use entertainment and commercial district built around the site of the former REO Motor Car Company complex, reflecting Lansing's broader push to adaptively reuse former industrial land near downtown.
How do I find the zoning for an address in Lansing?: Lansing's Department of Economic Development and Planning maintains the zoning map and ordinance text; contact the department or check the city's GIS portal to confirm a parcel's district.
Is downtown Lansing zoned for mixed use?: Yes — downtown Lansing carries mixed-use zoning intended to support ground-floor commercial with office and residential above, distinct from the city's legacy industrial districts and its predominantly single-family residential neighborhoods outside downtown.

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.

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