Zoning Map Revision Plan Gets Approval

Tuesday the Philadelphia Planning Commission took a formal step toward implementing the new zoning code when it approved the Zoning Map Revision Plan, presented by former Zoning Code Commission Director Eva Gladstein.

Gladstein explained to the Commission that the map revisions would happen in two phases.  The first phase will start the day the new zoning code goes into effect, August 22 of this year.  On that day, a conversion map will go into effect.  The map will automatically rename each district: R1 will become RSD-!, C1 will become CMX-1, and so on.  Gladstein also pointed out that in some cases the zoning standards in a given district will change as a result of the automatic conversion.  The Zoning Code Commission previously released a document detailing what changes will affect different districts.

The second phase of the zoning map revisions will be the individual remapping of each district, a five year process carried out by the Planning Commission.  The remapping began last summer with the West Park and Lower South districts.  The process includes holding community meetings to solicit land-use recommendations and, subsequently, crafting ordinances for City Council to act on.  Remapping is ultimately intended to bring the zoning regulations of each portion of Philadelphia into line with its current built environment and the development desires of its residents.