2026-0834: Ordinance amending the Pittsburgh Code, Title Nine, Zoning Code, Article I, Introduction and Establishment, Chapter 901 General Provisions; Chapter 902 Zoning Districts in General; Article II, Base Zoning District Chapter 903 Residential Zoning Districts; Chapter 904 Mixed Use Zoning Districts; Chapter 905 Special Purpose Districts; Article III, Overlay Zoning Districts, Chapter 906 Environmental Overlay Districts; Chapter 907 Development Overlay Districts; Article IV, Planning Districts, Chapter 908 Public Realm Districts; Chapter 909 Planned Development Districts; Chapter 910 Downtown Districts; Article V, Use Regulations; Chapter 911 Primary Uses; Chapter 912 Accessory Uses and Structures; Chapter 913 Use Exceptions and Conditions Not Listed in Use Table; Article VI, Development Standards, Chapter 915 Environmental Performance Standards; Chapter 916 Residential Compatibility Standards; Chapter 918 Landscaping and Screening Standards; Chapter 919 Signs; Chapter 920 Child Care Regulations; Article VII, Nonconformities, Chapter 921 Nonconformities; Article VIII, Review and Enforcement, Chapter 922 Development Review Procedures; Article IX Measurements and Definitions, Chapter 925, Measurements; Chapter 926 Definitions. (Needs to be held for a Public Hearing)

Description

Ordinance amending the Pittsburgh Code, Title Nine, Zoning Code, Article I, Introduction and Establishment, Chapter 901 General Provisions; Chapter 902 Zoning Districts in General; Article II, Base Zoning District Chapter 903 Residential Zoning Districts; Chapter 904 Mixed Use Zoning Districts; Chapter 905 Special Purpose Districts; Article III, Overlay Zoning Districts, Chapter 906 Environmental Overlay Districts; Chapter 907 Development Overlay Districts; Article IV, Planning Districts, Chapter 908 Public Realm Districts; Chapter 909 Planned Development Districts; Chapter 910 Downtown Districts; Article V, Use Regulations; Chapter 911 Primary Uses; Chapter 912 Accessory Uses and Structures; Chapter 913 Use Exceptions and Conditions Not Listed in Use Table; Article VI, Development Standards, Chapter 915 Environmental Performance Standards; Chapter 916 Residential Compatibility Standards; Chapter 918 Landscaping and Screening Standards; Chapter 919 Signs; Chapter 920 Child Care Regulations; Article VII, Nonconformities, Chapter 921 Nonconformities; Article VIII, Review and Enforcement, Chapter 922 Development Review Procedures; Article IX Measurements and Definitions, Chapter 925, Measurements; Chapter 926 Definitions. (Needs to be held for a Public Hearing)

Summary

Pittsburgh’s Planning Commission reviewed Phase One of zoning reform prompted by Executive Order 2026-01, which seeks a more predictable and efficient permitting system. The proposed legislation corrects code errors, removes obsolete districts and Chapter 913, restores use definitions, and simplifies height, floor-area, residential compatibility, landscaping, and street-tree rules. It generally replaces story limits with height measured in feet and adjusts setbacks and height limits near residential and hillside districts. A downtown area bounded by the Boulevard of the Allies, Stanwix Street, Commonwealth Place, and the Monongahela River would be rezoned from GT-D to GT-C, reducing the minimum open-space requirement from 60% to 10% and potentially enabling greater development. No specific project is approved; future developments would undergo separate review.