Maps

zoning map
Zoning by Harmonized Use Category

Contemporary Metro Vancouver Interactive Zoning Maps Available or in Progress through the project. See also our Interactive Historical Maps. This list will be updated regularly. Zoning data obtained from most recent municipal zoning ordinances for all Metro Vancouver municipalities. Multiple coders from our team review each zone, collecting information on key regulations influencing what can be built on the land and how it can be used. Key regulatory features include: uses allowed, floor space allowed (FSR where specified), maximum height, setbacks and footprint. We plan to make all data available along with a codebook in the months ahead. We welcome comments and corrections!

MAPLEVELDATE
Harmonized Use CategoryAggregate & Lot LevelAugust 2020
FSR (Est. Floor Space to Lot Ratio)Aggregate & Lot LevelIn Progress
Residential Floor Space AllowedLot LevelIn Progress
Number of Dwellings AllowedLot LevelIn Progress
Number of Bedrooms AllowedLot LevelIn Progress

Municipal zoning isn’t the only regulatory context that matters for what can be built. We add the following layers to our maps reflecting broader restrictions and/or policy contexts that often work in conjunction with municipal zoning. The Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR), for instance, effectively works as provincial level zoning.

LAYERDESCRIPTION
ALRLands within the provincial Agricultural Land Reserve
Urban CentresLands identified by Metro Vancouver as an Urban Centre
First Nation ReservesLands under First Nations jurisdiction
Vancouver View ConesLands in the City of Vancouver with additional height limits for view cones
Vancouver Parks & SchoolLands identified as municipal or regional parks or schools

Each municipality has different regulations for what can be built and how land can be used. In our first map, we harmonize these regulations with respect to uses allowed and building form. Primarily we harmonize residential zones by number of dwellings allowed and maximum heights (see also Census definitions for some of the complexities of building form), with separate simplified categories for non-residential zones. Of note: we currently group together low density zones containing a wide amount of internal variation with respect to everything from minimum lot sizes to the permissibility of duplexes, secondary suites and laneway houses.

CATEGORYDESCRIPTIONEXAMPLES
Single/Duplex
Residential
House-oriented Low Density Residential, including single and two family dwellings, with or without suites & lanewaysRS-1 (Vancouver) ; R-4 (Burnaby)
Townhouse ResidentialResidential including townhouse/rowhouse, triplexes, & four-plexes in addition to Low Density ResidentialRT-2A (New West ZT1 (Richmond)
Low-Rise ResidentialResidential including low-rise apartment buildings, maximum height four or fewer storeys (roughly < 13.5 m/45 ft), in addition to Townhouse ResidentialRM-3A (Vancouver) ; RM-15 (Surrey)
High-Rise ResidentialResidential including apartment buildings greater than four storeys (>13.5 m/45 ft), in addition to Low-Rise ResidentialRM-6 (New West)
Mixed Low-RiseCombines Residential with Commercial, maximum height four storeys (<13.5 m/45 ft)CS-1 (Maple Ridge)
Mixed High-RiseCombines Residential with Commercial,  greater than four storeys (>13.5 m/45 ft) in addition to Mixed Low-RiseFC-2 (Vancouver)
Commercial
Non-Residential
Commercial Uses OnlyDC (Port Coquitlam)
Comprehensive DevelopmentLot “Spot Zoned” for Uses Specific to Site, May or May Not Include ResidentialCD-1 (454) (Vancouver)
IndustrialPrimary Industrial Use Only (rarely includes residential as live/work space or caretaker residence only)M-1 (Coquitlam)
Recreational / CivicRecreational, Civic, Institutional, and Related Uses Only, including Universities, Schools, Parks, Marinas, Cemeteries, Assembly Spaces, Hospitals, Care Centres, Airports, Community Services, etc.AIR (Richmond)
AgriculturalAgricultural Use Only (includes aquaculture, livestock, forestry, fish & wildlife habitat, horse riding, bee keeping, kennel, with housing only for owner & farmworkers)A1 (Delta)
UnclassifiedNot Otherwise Classified or Zoned