HOW TO MAKE A ZONING ATLAS

From the beginning, our project has been guided by a common methodology enshrined in How-To Make a Zoning Atlas 2.0, used by analysts on both the code text and geospatial sides of the team.

The guide has step-by-step instructions about how to list zoning districts, analyze zoning code texts, and collect and upload geospatial information into the National Zoning Atlas Editor. It focuses on individual zoning districts, each of which distinctively regulate allowed uses, structures, and lots.  District-level data is the best way to accurately understand the contours and effects of zoning.

Consistent with the National Zoning Atlas’s evaluate-and-improve ethic, the leadership team evaluates and updates the methodology regularly. Click here for video tutorials that correspond to the How-To guide.