Downtown Design Guide
Zoning Overlays & Bonuses
LA's Downtown Design Guide and Community Plan governing high-rise massing, ground-floor activation, and adaptive-reuse standards in DTLA.
How Downtown Design Guide Rules Differ by Place
Huntsville, AL: Huntsville Downtown Design Standards
Some RestrictionsHuntsville's Central Business C-B District zoning regulations require new downtown buildings to use natural materials, street-facing entrances, and limit blank walls to 20 feet under…
Anchorage, AK: Anchorage Downtown Design Standards
Some RestrictionsDowntown Anchorage's design rules are binding code, not suggestions. AMC 21.11.070 imposes mandatory sidewalk, window, entry, and tower-massing standards on the B-2A, B-2B, and B-2C…
Glendale, AZ: Glendale Centerline Overlay Downtown Design Rules
Some RestrictionsGlendale's downtown corridor between Myrtle Avenue and Ocotillo Road can develop under either its underlying zoning or the opt-in Glendale Centerline Overlay, which sets separate…
Peoria, AZ: Peoria Downtown District Design Guidelines
Some RestrictionsPeoria's Downtown (D) District, bounded by 85th Avenue, Peoria Avenue, Grand Avenue and Monroe Street, requires every land use, even one permitted by right, to comply with the Peoria…
Scottsdale, AZ: Scottsdale Downtown District Design Standards
Some RestrictionsScottsdale's Downtown (D) zoning district, applied only within the Old Town Area under Sec. 5.3002, implements the Old Town Plan and the Old Town Scottsdale Urban Design &…
Sedona, AZ: Sedona Uptown Area Design Standards
Some RestrictionsSedona applies its citywide site and building design standards, Land Development Code Section 5.7, to every project in the Uptown area, but overrides them wherever the Main Street…
Cities & Counties with Downtown Design Guide Rules
241 locations
Arizona
California
Other Zoning Overlays & Bonuses Topics
Specific Plans Overview
How specific plans (LA has 35+) layer on top of underlying zoning to set neighborhood-tailored rules for height, density, design, and use.
Density Bonus Law
California Density Bonus Law (Gov Code §65915) and local implementations granting up to 50% density bonuses for affordable-housing projects.
Transit-Oriented Communities (TOC)
LA's TOC tier system (Measure JJJ) granting density and parking incentives near major transit, including affordability set-aside ratios per tier.
Hillside Overlay Rules
Special development rules for hillside zones, slope-band density formulas, hillside grading limits, and view-protection standards above LAMC baseline.
Q-Conditions (Qualified Zoning)
How "Q" qualified-zoning conditions add property-specific use restrictions, design standards, and operational limits on top of base zoning.
Coastal Zone Permits
Coastal Development Permits (CDP) required for projects in the coastal zone (Venice, Pacific Palisades, San Pedro), including local-CDP vs Coastal Commission jurisdiction.
Mello Act Replacement
California Mello Act requirement to replace affordable housing demolished or converted in the coastal zone, including LA's implementation rules.
Hollywood Community Plan
The Hollywood Community Plan (and 2035 update) layering height, density, and design rules on top of base zoning across Hollywood neighborhoods.
Venice Specific Plan
The Venice Specific Plan setting unique residential, commercial, and walk-street rules in Venice, including iconic-streetscape preservation.