CHAPTER 17-4
DOWNTOWN DISTRICTS

17-4-0100   District descriptions.

17-4-0200   Allowed uses.

17-4-0300   General district standards.

17-4-0400   Bulk and density standards.

17-4-0500   Pedestrian streets.

17-4-0600   Mobility streets.

17-4-0700   Driveways and vehicle access.

17-4-0800   Non-accessory parking.

17-4-0900   Planned developments.

17-4-1000   Floor area bonuses.

17-4-1100   Roll-up overhead or sliding security gates or doors.

17-4-0100 District descriptions.

   17-4-0101 Generally. “D” zoning districts are intended solely for application within the downtown area. No “D” zoning may be established outside the downtown area boundaries as described in Sec. 17-1-1500.

   17-4-0102 DC, Downtown Core District.

      17-4-0102-A The DC, Downtown Core district is primarily intended to promote high-intensity office and employment growth within the downtown core.

      17-4-0102-B The DC district regulations recognize and support downtown's role as a center of regional importance and as a primary hub for business, communications, office, government, retail, cultural, educational, visitor accommodations, and entertainment.

      17-4-0102-C The district regulations are intended to accommodate a broad mix of office, commercial, public, recreation, and entertainment uses. The DC district also accommodates mixed-use (residential/nonresidential) and residential development.

      17-4-0102-D The DC district can be combined with the dash 12 or dash 16 bulk and density designations (see Sec. 17-4-0401).

   17-4-0103 DX, Downtown Mixed-Use District.

      17-4-0103-A The DX, Downtown Mixed-Use district is primarily intended to accommodate office, commercial, public, institutional and residential development.

      17-4-0103-B The district promotes vertical mixed-use (residential/nonresidential) projects that contain active ground-floor uses.

      17-4-0103-C The DX district can be combined with the dash 3, dash 5, dash 7, dash 10, dash 12 or dash 16 bulk and density designations (see Sec. 17-4-0401).

   17-4-0104 DR, Downtown Residential District.

      17-4-0104-A The DR, Downtown Residential district is primarily intended to accommodate residential development and small-scale commercial uses on lower floors, with residential units above.

      17-4-0104-B The DR district can be combined with the dash 3, dash 5, dash 7, or dash 10 bulk and density designations (see Sec. 17-4-0401).

   17-4-0105 DS, Downtown Service District.

      17-4-0105-A The DS, Downtown Service district is primarily intended to accommodate commercial and service uses that are essential for the livelihood of businesses and residents of the downtown area and surrounding neighborhoods.

      17-4-0105-B The district regulations allow a mix of small-scale office, commercial services, public uses, transportation and communication services, and industrial uses.

      17-4-0105-C The DS district can be combined with the dash 3 or dash 5 bulk and density designations (see Sec. 17-4-0401).

(Added Coun. J. 5-26-04, p. 25275; Amend Coun. J. 3-9-05, p. 44381; Amend Coun. J. 5-18-16, p. 24993, § 4)

17-4-0200 Allowed uses.

   Uses are allowed in the “D” zoning districts in accordance with the Use Table of this section.

   17-4-0201 Use Groups and Categories. Use Groups and Use Categories are described in Sec. 17-17-0100.

   17-4-0202 Permitted Uses. Uses identified with a “P” are permitted by-right in the subject zoning district, subject to compliance with all other applicable standards of this Zoning Ordinance.

   17-4-0203 Special Uses. Uses identified with an “S” may be allowed if reviewed and approved in accordance with the special use procedures of Sec. 17-13-0900, subject to compliance with all other applicable standards of this Zoning Ordinance.

   17-4-0203.5 Planned Developments. Uses identified with a “PD” may be allowed if reviewed and approved in accordance with the planned development procedures of Sec. 17-13-0600. Other uses and development activities may also require review and approval as a planned development based on their size, height or other threshold criteria. (See the mandatory planned development thresholds of Sec. 17-8-0500)

   17-4-0204 Prohibited Uses. Uses identified with a “-” are expressly prohibited. Uses that are not listed in the table are also prohibited.

   17-4-0205 Use Standards. The “Use Standard” column of the following Use Table identifies use-specific standards that apply to some uses. Compliance with such standards is required regardless of whether the use is a Permitted (P) or special use (S).

   17-4-0206 Unlisted Uses. If an application is submitted for a use that is not addressed by the Use Table, the Zoning Administrator is authorized to classify the unlisted use into an existing use category that most closely fits the new or unlisted use, in accordance with 17-17-0101-D. If no similar use determination can be made, the use is prohibited.

   17-4-0207 Use Table and Standards.

For a printer-friendly PDF version of Table 17-4-0207, please click here.

USE GROUP		Zoning Districts				Use Standard	Parking Standard
Use Category		DC	DX	DR	DS
	Specific Use Type
P = permitted by-right S = special use approval required PD = planned development approval required - = Not allowed
RESIDENTIAL
A. Household Living
1.	Artist Live/Work Space located above the ground floor	P	P	P	-		§ 17-10-0208
2.	Artist Live/Work Space located on the ground floor	-	S	P	-		§ 17-10-0208
3.	Dwelling Units located above the ground floor	P	P	P	-		§ 17-10-0208
4.	Dwelling Units located on the ground floor (as follows)
5.	Detached House	-	S	P	-		§ 17-10-0208
6.	Elderly Housing	S	S	P	-		§ 17-10-0207-D
7.	Multi-unit (3+ units) residential	S	S	P	-		§ 17-10-0208
8.	Single-Room Occupancy	S	S	P	-		§ 17-10-0208
9.	Townhouse	-	S	P	-	§ 17-2-0500	§ 17-10-0208
10.	Two-Flat	-	S	P	-		§ 17-10-0208
B. Group Living (except as more specifically regulated)		-	S	S	-		§ 17-10-0208
1.	Assisted Living (Elderly Custodial Care)	-	P	P	-		§ 17-10-0208
2.	Community Home, Family	-	P	P	-	§ 17-9-0104	§ 17-10-0208
3.	Community Home, Group	-	S	S	-	§ 17-9-0104	§ 17-10-0208
4.	Domestic Violence Residence, Family (located above the ground floor [3])	-	P	P	-		§ 17-10-0208
5.	Domestic Violence Residence, Group	-	S/P [3]	P	-		§ 17-10-0208
6.	Domestic Violence Shelter	-	S	S	-		§ 17-10-0208
7.	Nursing Home (Skilled Nursing Care)	-	S	S	-		§ 17-10-0208
8.	Temporary Overnight Shelter	-	S	S	-	§ 17-9-0115	§17-10-0208
9.	Transitional Residences	-	S	S	-	§ 17-9-0115	§ 17-10-0208
10.	Transitional Shelters	-	S	S	-	§ 17-9-0115	§ 17-10-0208
PUBLIC AND CIVIC
C. Colleges and Universities		P	P	P	P		§ 17-10-0208
D. Cultural Exhibits and Libraries		P	P	P	P		§ 17-10-0208
E. Day Care		P	P	P	P		§ 17-10-0208
F. Detention and Correctional Facilities		-	-	-	S		§ 17-10-0208
G. Hospital		p	p	p	p		§ 17-10-0208
H. Lodge or Private Club		S	S	S	S	§ 17-9-0111	§ 17-10-0208
I. Parks and Recreation (except as more specifically regulated)		P	P	P	P		§ 17-10-0208
1.	Community Centers, Recreation Buildings and Similar Assembly Use	S	S	S	S		§ 17-10-0208
2.	Community Garden	P	P	P	P	§ 17-9-0103.5	§ 17-10-0208
J. Postal Service		P	P	P	P		§ 17-10-0208
K. Public Safety Services		P	P	P	P		§ 17-10-0208
L. Religious Assembly		S	S	P	S		§ 17-10-0208
M. School		S	S	P	S		§ 17-10-0208
N. Utilities and Services, Minor		P	P	P	P		§ 17-10-0208
O. Utilities and Services, Major		S	S	S	S		§ 17-10-0208
COMMERCIAL
P. Adult Use		S	S	-	S	§ 17-9-0101	§ 17-10-0208
Q. Animal Services		P	P	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
R. Artist Work or Sales Space		P	P	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
S. Body Art Services		S	S	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
T. Building Maintenance Services		-	-	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
U. Business Equipment Sales and Service		P	P	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
V. Business Support Services (except as more specifically regulated)		P	P	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
1.	Day Labor Employment Agency	-	-	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
W. Urban Farm
1.	Indoor Operation	P	P	-	P	§ 17-9-0103.3	§ 17-10-0208
2.	Outdoor Operation	-	-	-	P	§ 17-9-0103.3	§ 17-10-0208
3.	Rooftop Operation	P	P	P	P	§ 17-9-0103.3	§17-10-0208
X. Communication Service Establishments		P	P	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
Y. Construction Sales and Service		-	-	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
Z. Drive-Through Facility		-	S	-	S	§ 17-9-0106	§ 17-10-0208
AA. Eating and Drinking Establishments (all, including Taverns)		P	P	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
BB. Entertainment and Spectator Sports (except as more specifically regulated)		P	P	-	P
1.	Indoor Special Event including incidental liquor sales	P	P	-	P
2.	Wagering Facility	P/S	P/S	-	P/S	§ 17-9-0110	§ 17-10-0208
3.	Indoor Event Venue	S	S	-	S	§ 17-9-0130.1	§ 17-10-0208
CC. Financial Services (except as more specifically regulated)		P	P	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
1.	Payday/Title Secured Loan Store	S	S	-	S	§ 17-9-0125	§ 17-10-0208
2.	Pawn Shop	S	S	-	S	§ 17-9-0127	§ 17-10-0208
DD. Flea Market		-	-	-	S		§ 17-10-0208
EE. Food and Beverage Retail Sales (except as more specifically regulated)		P	P	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
1.	Liquor Store (package goods)	S	S	-	S		§ 17-10-0208
2.	Liquor Sales (as accessory use)	P	P	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
3.	Poultry (including slaughtering and retail sales)	-	-	-	S	§ 17-9-0119	§ 17-10-0208
FF. Fortune Telling Service		S	S	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
GG. Funeral and Interment Service
1.	Cemetery/Mausoleum/Columbarium	-	-	-	-		§ 17-10-0208
2.	Cremating	-	-	-	S		§ 17-10-0208
3.	Undertaking	P	P	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
HH. Gas Stations		-	S	-	S	§ 17-9-0109	§ 17-10-0208
II. Lodging
1.	Bed and Breakfast	P	P	P	P	§ 17-9-0103	§ 17-10-0208
2.	Hotel/Motel	P	P	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
3.	Vacation Rental	P	P	P	-
4.	Shared Housing Unit	P	P	P	-
JJ. Medical Service		P	P	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
KK. Office		P	P	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
LL. Parking, Non-Accessory
1.	Within Central Area Parking District	PD	PD	-	-	§ 17-4-0800	§ 17-10-0208
2.	Outside Central Area Parking District (1-249 parking spaces)	S	S	-	S	§ 17-4-0800	§ 17-10-0208
3.	Outside Central Area Parking District (250+ spaces)	PD	PD	-	PD	§ 17-4-0800	§ 17-10-0208
MM. Personal Service		P	P	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
NN. Repair or Laundry Service, Consumer		P	P	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
OO.* Residential Storage Warehouse		-	P	-	P	§ 17-9-0113.1	§ 17-10-0208
* Editor's note – Coun. J. 9-8-11, p. 7562, § 1, amended row “OO” of this table but misidentified the row as “NN.” “OO” has been amended at the discretion of the editor. Future legislation will correct the provision if needed.
PP. Residential Support Services		-	-	P	-	§ 17-9-0114	None required
QQ. Retail Sales, General		P	P	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
RR. Sports and Recreation, Participant
1.	Entertainment Cabaret	P	P	-	P	§ 17-9-0120	§ 17-10-0208
2.	Outdoor	-	-	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
3.	Indoor	P	P	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
4.	Children's Play Center	-	P	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
5.	Shooting Range Facility	S	S	-	S		§ 17-10-0208
SS. Valuable Objects Dealer		S	S	-	-		§ 17-10-0208
TT. Vehicle Sales and Service
1.	Auto Supply/Accessory Sales	-	P	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
2.	Car Wash or Cleaning Service	-	P	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
3.	Heavy Equipment Sales/Rental	-	-	-	P	§ 17-9-0107	§ 17-10-0208
4.	Light Equipment Sales/Rental, Indoor (e.g., auto, motorcycle and boat sales)	P	P	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
5.	Light Equipment Sales/Rental, Outdoor (e.g., auto, motorcycle and boat sales)	-	P	-	P	§ 17-9-0107	§ 17-10-0208
6.	Motor Vehicle Repair Shop, not including body work, painting or commercial vehicle repairs	-	P	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
7.	Motor Vehicle Repair Shop, may include body work, painting or commercial vehicle repairs	-	-	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
8.	RV or Boat Storage	-	-	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
9.	Vehicle Storage and Towing	-	-	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
INDUSTRIAL
UU. Manufacturing, Production and Industrial Services
1.	Artisan	P	P	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
2.	Limited	-	-	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
VV. Recycling Facilities
1.	Class I	P	P	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
2.	Class II	-	-	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
WW. Warehousing, Wholesaling and Freight Movement		-	P	-	P		§ 17-10-0208
OTHER
XX. Wireless Communication Facilities
1.	Co-located	P	P	P	P	§ 17-9-0118	None required
2.	Freestanding (Towers)	S	S	S	S	§ 17-9-0118	None required
YY. Coke & Coal Bulk Material		-	-	-	-	§ 17-9-0117-B	None required
ZZ. Firearms dealer		-	-	-	S	§ 17-9-0128	§ 17-10-0207-M
AAA. Cannabis Business Establishment
1.	Adult Use Cannabis Dispensary	S*	S*	-	S*	§ 17-9-0129	§ 17-10-0208
2.	Medical Cannabis Dispensary	S*	S*	-	S*	§ 17-9-0129	§ 17-10-0208
3.	Cannabis Craft Grower	S*	S*	-	S*	§ 17-9-0129	§ 17-10-0208
4.	Cannabis Infuser	S*	S*	-	S*	§ 17-9-0129	§ 17-10-0208
5.	Cannabis Processor	S*	S*	-	S*	§ 17-9-0129	§ 17-10-0208
BBB. Manganese-bearing Material Operation		-	-	-	-	§ 17-9-0117-D	None required
* Pursuant to Section 17-9-0129(1), cannabis business establishments in a certain area delineated in Section 17-9-0129(1) must be reviewed and approved in accordance with the Type I Zoning Map Amendment procedures of Section 17-13-0302 instead of the special use procedures.

 

   17-4-0208 Strip Centers. Strip centers are prohibited in DC, DX and DR districts. Strip centers in the DS district are subject to the standards of Section 17-9-0116.

(Added Coun. J. 5-26-04, p. 25275; Amend Coun. J. 9-1-04, p. 30490; Amend Coun. J. 3-9-05, p. 44391; Amend Coun. J. 11-30-05, p. 62719; Amend Coun. J. 9-13-06, p. 84870, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 5-12-10, p. 91343, § 4; Amend Coun. J. 6-30-10, p. 96060, § 4; Amend Coun. J. 11-3-10, p. 104527; Amend Coun. J. 11-3-10, p. 104833, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 6-8-11, p. 1725, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 9-8-11, p. 7541, § 3; Amend Coun. J. 9-8-11, p. 7562, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 5-9-12, p. 27485, § 190; Amend Coun. J. 7-25-12, p. 31627, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 1-17-13, p. 45291, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 1-17-13, p. 45622, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 2-13-13, 47141, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 4-30-14, p. 80394, § 3; Amend Coun. J. 6-25-14, p. 83727, § 12; Amend Coun. J. 7-30-14, p. 86194, §§ 3, 9; Amend Coun. J. 2-10-16, p. 18766, § 11; Amend Coun. J. 5-18-16, p. 25024, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 6-22-16, p. 27712, § 14; Amend Coun. J. 5-24-17, p. 50364, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 3-28-18, p. 74512, § 3; Amend Coun. J. 10-16-19, p. 7854, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 1-15-20, p. 13417, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 9-20-21, p. 36844, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 12-15-21, p. 42922, § 8; Amend Coun. J. 5-25-22, p. 48413, § 8; Amend Coun. J. 7-20-22, p. 50878, § 5; Amend Coun. J. 5-22-24, p. 12069, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 7-17-24, p. 14728, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 10-30-24, p. 19853, § 1)

17-4-0300 General district standards.

   17-4-0301 Specific Criteria for Transit-Served Locations. In D districts, any new construction within 2,640 feet of a CTA or METRA rail station entrance or exit must satisfy all of the following specific criteria:

      1.   The project complies with the applicable standards of Section 17-10-0102-B;

      2.   The project complies with the standards and regulations of Section 17-4-0504, except paragraph E if the project is not located along a pedestrian street and except paragraph C if the land use is designated in a non-commercial use group, pertaining to pedestrian streets and pedestrian retail streets, even if the project is not located along a pedestrian street or a pedestrian retail street;

      3.   The project complies with the general goals set forth in the current Transit Friendly Development Guide: Station Area Typology, and any other station-specific plans, designs or guidelines adopted by the Chicago Plan Commission;

      4.   Residential building projects shall not have a number of parking spaces in excess of 50% of the Minimum Automobile Parking Ratio for the applicable district listed in Section 17-10-0208 with any fractional result rounded up to the next higher whole number, unless additional parking spaces are approved as an administrative adjustment under the provisions of Section 17-13-1003-EE; and

      5.    The project complies with the Travel Demand Study and Management Plan rules of the Chicago Department of Transportation. The City's Commissioner of Transportation is authorized to issue Travel Demand Study and management Plan rules consistent with this section.

(Added Coun. J. 5-26-04, p. 25275; Amend Coun. J. 7-20-22, p. 50878, § 5; Amend Coun. J. 1-18-23, p. 59796, § 5)

17-4-0400 Bulk and density standards.

   17-4-0401 General. Bulk and density standards in the “D” districts vary according to the bulk and density designation of the district. Bulk and density designations are indicated by the numeral following the dash (–) in the district name, as in “DX-16" (DX dash 16).

   17-4-0402 Lot Area. There are no minimum lot area standards for the “D” districts.

   17-4-0403 Lot Frontage. There are no minimum lot frontage standards for the “D” districts.

   17-4-0404 Lot Area per Unit.

      17-4-0404-A Standards. All development in “D” districts is subject to the following minimum lot area per unit standards. These standards are not to be interpreted as a guarantee that allowed densities can be achieved on every lot. Other factors, such as off-street parking requirements, minimum dwelling unit standards and lot configuration issues may work to limit density more than these standards.

 

Dash Designation	Minimum Lot Area per Unit (square feet)
-3	Dwelling units: 400 Efficiency units: 300 SRO units: 200
-5	Dwelling units: 200 Efficiency units: 135 SRO units: 100
-7	Dwelling units: 145 Efficiency units: 90 SRO units: 75
-10	Dwelling units: 115 Efficiency units: 75 SRO units: 60
-12	Dwelling units: 115 Efficiency units: 75 SRO units: 60
-16	Dwelling units: 100 Efficiency units: 65 SRO units: 50

 

(See Sec. 17-17-0304 for rules governing the measurement of lot area per unit.)

      17-4-0404-B MLA Reduction for Downtown Floor Area Bonus. Projects that qualify for and are granted floor area bonuses under Sec. 17-4-1000 are eligible to use reduced lot-area-per-unit standards. For each one percent increase in floor area awarded through the floor area bonus provisions of Sec. 17-4-1000, the minimum lot area per unit standard is reduced by one percent. The minimum lot area per unit reduction may not exceed 30 percent, regardless of the floor area bonus granted, except in dash 16 bulk and density designations, where this cap shall not apply.

      17-4-0404-C MLA Reduction for Transit-Served Locations. Projects in D-3 districts located within 2,640 feet of a CTA or METRA rail station entrance or exit or within 1,320 feet of a CTA bus line corridor roadway segment listed in Table 17-17-0400-B and which are in compliance with Section 17-4-0301 are eligible to use the reduced lot area per unit standards as established in the table below. These minimum lot area reductions are allowed only if the project is reviewed and approved in accordance with the Type I Zoning Map Amendment procedures of Section 17-13-0302, or the planned development procedures of Section 17-13-0600 (if the project qualifies as a mandatory or elective planned development under Sections 17-8-0500 or 17-8-0600).

 

District	Proportion of ARO requirement on-site per 2-44-085 (Must include a minimum of one affordable unit under 2-44-085 )	Minimum Lot Area per Unit (square feet)
		Per Dwelling Unit	Per Efficiency Unit	Per SRO Unit
Dash 3	50%	350	250	180
	75%	325	225	160
	100%	300	200	135

 

   17-4-0405 Floor Area Ratio.

      17-4-0405-A Standards. All development in “D” districts is subject to the following maximum floor area ratio standards:

 

Dash Designation	Maximum Base Floor Area Ratio	FAR Bonuses Allowed?
-3	3.0	Yes
-5	5.0	Yes
-7	7.0	Yes
-10	10.0	Yes
-12	12.0	Yes
-16	16.0	Yes

 

(See Sec. 17-17-0305 for rules governing the measurement of floor area ratio.)

      17-4-0405-B Bonus Floor Area. Under the provisions of Sec. 17-4-1000, development in all “D” districts is eligible for floor area bonuses, over and above the stated maximum base floor area ratios of Sec. 17-4-0405-A.

      17-4-0405-C FAR Increase for Transit- Served Locations. All projects in D-3 districts located within 2,640 feet of a CTA or METRA rail station entrance or exit or within 1,320 feet of a CTA bus line corridor roadway segment listed in Table 17-17-0400-B and which are in compliance with Section 17-4-0301 may increase the maximum floor area ratio standard as established in the table below. This floor area ratio increase is allowed only if the project is reviewed and approved in accordance with the Type I Zoning Map Amendment procedures of Section 17-13-0302, or the planned development procedures of Section 17-13-0600 (if the project qualifies as a mandatory or elective planned development under Sections 17-8-0500 or 17-8-0600). Projects that receive a floor area increase under this Section are not eligible for additional bonus floor area under Section 17-4-1000, nor shall a floor area increase under this Section be credited against bonus floor area under Section 17-4-1000.

 

District	Proportion of ARO requirement on-site per 2-44-085 -G (Must include a minimum of one affordable unit under 2-44-085 )	Maximum Floor Area Ratio
Dash 3	50%	3.5
	75%	3.75
	100%	4

 

   17-4-0406 Setbacks.

      17-4-0406-A Front Setbacks.

         1.   DC, DX and DS Districts. No front setback is required in DC, DX or DS districts.

         2.   DR Districts. Buildings and structures in DR districts are subject to the R district front setback standards of Sec. 17-2-0305.

      17-4-0406-B Other setbacks.

         1.   DC, DX and DS Districts. Side setbacks are not required in “DC”, “DX”, or “DS” districts. Rear setbacks are required only for floors containing dwelling units. The minimum rear setback standard is 30 feet for floors containing dwelling units, except that buildings in the DC-12, DX-12, DC-16 and DX-16 are exempt from this rear setback standard.

         2.   DR District. There is no minimum side setback requirement in the DR district. The minimum rear setback for detached houses is 28% of lot depth or 50 feet, whichever is less. (See Sec. 17-17-0307 for rules governing the measurement of rear setbacks.) The minimum rear setback for principal buildings other than detached houses is 30% of lot depth or 50 feet, whichever is less. The required rear setback for principal buildings other than detached houses applies only to those portions of a building that are 18 feet or more above grade.

      17-4-0406-C Pedestrian Streets. Maximum setbacks apply on certain designated pedestrian streets. (See Sec. 17-4-0500)

   17-4-0407 Maximum Building Height. There are no maximum building height limits in the “D” districts. Planned development (PD) review and approval is required for buildings that exceed the building height thresholds stated in Sec. 17-4-0900. (See Sec. 17-17-0311 for rules governing the measurement of building height.)

   17-4-0408 Average Dwelling Unit Size. The gross residential floor area developed on a lot divided by the total number of dwelling units on such lot must equal at least 500 square feet. No existing residential use may be converted to conflict with or further conflict with this standard.

   17-4-0409 Number of Efficiency Units.

      17-4-0409-A Standards. The total number of efficiency units may not exceed the following standards except as specified in Section 17-4-0409-B:

 

District	Maximum Number of Efficiency Units (% of total units)
-3	20
-5	30
-7	40
-10	50
-12	50
-16	50

 

      17-4-0409-B Allowed Exceptions. 

         1.   The limits on efficiency units do not apply to elderly housing developments, provided that the Zoning Administrator determines that such developments constitute bona fide elderly housing developments.

         2.   The limits on efficiency units do not apply to transit-served developments within 660 feet of a CTA or Metra rail station entrance or exit or a CTA bus line corridor roadway segment listed in Table 17-17-0400-B.

   17-4-0410 On-Site Open Space.

      17-4-0410-A Amount and Dimensions. Except as expressly allowed under the townhouse development standards of Sec. 17-2-0500, all development containing dwelling units located in D districts must provide at least 36 square feet of useable on-site open space per dwelling unit. Required open space must have minimum dimension of at least 5 feet on any side if private or 15 feet on any side if provided as common open space.

      17-4-0410-B Additional Standards.

         1.   Required open space must be located on the same lot as the dwelling units it serves.

         2.   Required open space must be outdoors and designed for outdoor living, recreation or landscaping, including areas located on the ground and areas on decks, balconies, porches or roofs.

         3.   The required open space area is not required to be contiguous, but each open space area, whether common or private, must comply with minimum dimensional standards. Common open space areas must be accessible to all residents of the subject development.

         4.   When located at ground level, required open space area must be substantially covered with grass, ground cover, shrubs, plants, trees, or usable outdoor open space features, such as walkways or patios.

         5.   Off-street parking areas, loading facilities, driveways or required vehicular use landscape areas may not be used to satisfy open space requirements. Bollards, curbs, wheel stops or other similar features must be provided to ensure that required open space areas are not used for off-street parking or any other vehicular use.

         6.   Required open space areas may not be occupied by mechanical equipment, dumpsters or service areas.

         7.   All required open space areas must be located and designed to take advantage of sunlight and other climatic advantages of the site.

   17-4-0411 Floor-to-Floor Heights and Floor Area of Ground-floor Space. In all DR, DX and DC districts, any commercial space that is provided on the ground floor of a building must have a minimum floor- to-floor height of 13 feet.

(Added Coun. J. 5-26-04, p. 25275; Amend Coun. J. 3-9-05, p. 44391; Amend Coun. J. 9-13-06, p. 84870, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 9-11-13, p. 60173, §§ 4, 5; Amend Coun. J. 3-18-15, p. 105476, § 5; Amend Coun. J. 9-24-15, p. 7499, §§ 5, 6; Amend Coun. J. 5-18-16, p. 24993, §§ 5, 6; Amend Coun. J. 12-14-16, p. 40360, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 1-23-19, p. 94981, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 4-21-21, p. 29627, § 7; Amend Coun. J. 7-20-22, p. 50878, § 5; Amend Coun. J. 1-18-23, p. 59796, § 6; Amend Coun. J. 5-22-24, p. 12076, § 1)

 

Notes

2-44-085	The hyper-linked material is not part of the Chicago Land Use and Zoning infobase and therefore is not included herein. The material is included in other provisions of the Chicago Municipal Code. The complete Chicago Municipal Code is available for purchase from American Legal Publishing in both print and Folio® versions. Please click here for the appropriate American Legal order form in printable Adobe® PDF format. For additional information, you may visit American Legal's website by clicking here.
2-44-085	The hyper-linked material is not part of the Chicago Land Use and Zoning infobase and therefore is not included herein. The material is included in other provisions of the Chicago Municipal Code. The complete Chicago Municipal Code is available for purchase from American Legal Publishing in both print and Folio® versions. Please click here for the appropriate American Legal order form in printable Adobe® PDF format. For additional information, you may visit American Legal's website by clicking here.
2-44-085	The hyper-linked material is not part of the Chicago Land Use and Zoning infobase and therefore is not included herein. The material is included in other provisions of the Chicago Municipal Code. The complete Chicago Municipal Code is available for purchase from American Legal Publishing in both print and Folio® versions. Please click here for the appropriate American Legal order form in printable Adobe® PDF format. For additional information, you may visit American Legal's website by clicking here.
2-44-085	The hyper-linked material is not part of the Chicago Land Use and Zoning infobase and therefore is not included herein. The material is included in other provisions of the Chicago Municipal Code. The complete Chicago Municipal Code is available for purchase from American Legal Publishing in both print and Folio® versions. Please click here for the appropriate American Legal order form in printable Adobe® PDF format. For additional information, you may visit American Legal's website by clicking here.

17-4-0500 Pedestrian streets.

   17-4-0501 Purpose. The regulations of this section are intended to preserve and enhance the character of pedestrian streets that are widely recognized as Chicago's best examples of pedestrian-oriented shopping districts. The regulations are intended to ensure pedestrian safety and comfort, promote economic vitality and preserve the positive character of downtown's most pedestrian-oriented streets.

   17-4-0502 Description and Criteria for Designation. Pedestrian streets exhibit most or all of the following characteristics:

      17-4-0502-A have a high concentration of existing stores and restaurants;

      17-4-0502-B have a continuous or mostly continuous pattern of buildings that are built abutting or very close to the sidewalk;

      17-4-0502-C have doors and entrances abutting the sidewalk; and

      17-4-0502-D have many storefront windows abutting the sidewalk.

   17-4-0503 Designation and Boundaries.

      17-4-0503-A Pedestrian streets are identified in the text of this Zoning Ordinance and shown on the Official Zoning Atlas.

      17-4-0503-B The “pedestrian street” designation may be established or removed only in accordance with the Zoning Ordinance Text and Zoning Map Amendment procedures of Sec. 17-13-0200 and Sec. 17-13-0300. Both a text and map amendment is required.

      17-4-0503-C The “pedestrian street” designation applies to all zoning lots that abut the right- of-way of a pedestrian street.

      17-4-0503-D The following downtown street segments are classified as pedestrian streets:

Street	Segment
	From	To
North-South Streets
Clinton	Washington	Jackson
Halsted	Washington	Van Buren
LaSalle	Washington	Jackson
Michigan	Cermak	24th Place
Michigan	Oak	Roosevelt
Rush	Division	Pearson
State	Lake	Congress
Wabash	Lake	Congress
East-West Streets
Chicago	State	Michigan
Division	Dearborn	State
Erie	Rush	St. Clair
Fulton Market	Elizabeth	Halsted
Fulton Street	Ogden	Elizabeth
Grand	Wabash	St. Clair
Huron	Wabash	St. Clair
Madison	Throop	Halsted
Oak	State	Michigan
Ohio	Wabash	St. Clair
Ontario	Dearborn	St. Clair
Randolph	Ada	Halsted
Superior	Wabash	St. Clair

 

Figure 17-4-0503

For a printer-friendly PDF version of Figure 17-4-0503, please click here.

 

   17-4-0504 Standards.

      17-4-0504-A Applicability. The standards of this section apply to all development on lots that abut the right-of-way of designated pedestrian streets unless otherwise expressly stated.

      17-4-0504-B Building Location.

         1.   The entire building façade that faces a designated pedestrian street must abut the sidewalk or be located within 5 feet of the sidewalk.

         2.   These building location standards do not apply to permitted arcades, public plazas or parks, entries to through-block connections, or recessed building entries.

Figure 17-4-0504-B

      17-4-0504-C Transparency.

         1.   A minimum of 60% of the street- facing building façade between 4 feet and 10 feet in height must be comprised of clear, non-reflective windows that allow views of indoor commercial space or product display areas. This standard applies to building façades that face pedestrian streets.

         2.   The bottom of any window or product display window used to satisfy this requirement may not be more than 4.5 feet above the adjacent sidewalk.

         3.   Product display windows used to satisfy these requirements must have a minimum height of 4 feet and be internally lighted.

Figure 17-4-0504-C

      17-4-0504-D Doors and Entrances.

         1.   On lots abutting pedestrian streets, buildings must have a primary entrance door facing the pedestrian street. Entrances at building corners facing a pedestrian street may be used to satisfy this requirement.

         2.   Building entrances may include doors to individual shops or businesses, lobby entrances, entrances to pedestrian-oriented plazas or courtyard entrances to a cluster of shops or businesses.

Figure 17-4-0504-D

      17-4-0504-E Prohibited Uses. The following uses are expressly prohibited on lots abutting pedestrian streets:

         1.   drive-through facilities;

         2.   vehicle sales and service uses involving any outdoor storage of vehicles or goods;

         3.   gas stations;

         4.   car washes;

         5.   residential storage warehouses; and

         6.   strip centers.

      17-4-0504-F Parking Location. Any off- street parking spaces must be enclosed or located to the rear of the principal building and not be visible from the right-of-way of a pedestrian street.

      17-4-0504-G Driveways and Vehicle Access. Vehicle access to lots located along pedestrian streets must come from an alley. No curb cuts or driveways are allowed from a pedestrian street.

(Added Coun. J. 5-26-04, p. 25275; Amend Coun. J. 3-9-05, p. 44391; Amend Coun. J. 9-13-06, p. 84870, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 9-8-11, p. 7559, § 3; Amend Coun. J. 12-15-21, p. 42684, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 3-15-23, p. 61265, § 1)

17-4-0600 Mobility streets.

   17-4-0601 Purpose. The regulations of this section are intended to preserve and enhance the function of certain streets that serve as primary pedestrian routes linking commuter rail stations with the downtown employment core. The regulations are intended to ensure pedestrian safety and comfort, support transit use and promote economic development by ensuring safe and efficient access to downtown's commercial and employment center.

   17-4-0602 Description and Criteria for Designation. Mobility streets exhibit most or all of the following characteristics:

      17-4-0602-A accommodate very high volumes of pedestrians (averaging 10,000 or more persons per work day); and

      17-4-0602-B serve as important connections from commuter rail stations to downtown businesses and employment.

   17-4-0603 Designation and Boundaries.

      17-4-0603-A Mobility streets are identified in the text of this Zoning Ordinance and shown on the Official Zoning Atlas.

      17-4-0603-B The “mobility street” designation may be established or removed only in accordance with the Zoning Ordinance Text and Zoning Map Amendment procedures of Sec. 17-13-0200 and Sec. 17-13-0300. Both a text and map amendment is required.

      17-4-0603-C The “mobility street” designation applies to all zoning lots that abut the right- of-way of a pedestrian street.

      17-4-0603-D The following downtown street segments are classified as mobility streets:

Street	Segment
	From	To
North-South Streets
Wacker	Franklin	Van Buren
Canal	Lake	Van Buren
East-West Streets
Wacker	Michigan	Franklin
Lake	Michigan	Canal
Randolph	Michigan	La Salle
Randolph	Wells	Clinton
Washington	Michigan	Clinton
Madison	Michigan	Clinton
Monroe	Michigan	Clinton
Adams	Michigan	Clinton
Jackson	Michigan	Clinton
Van Buren	Michigan	Canal

 

Figure 17-4-0603

For a printer-friendly PDF version of Figure 17-4-0603, please click here.

   17-4-0604 Standards. Minimum sidewalk widths of at least 14 feet are necessary to promote safe and efficient pedestrian flows along designated mobility streets. Whenever development occurs on lots abutting a mobility street and the width of the abutting sidewalk is less than 14 feet, the building must be set back to accommodate a sidewalk with a width of at least 14 feet.

(Added Coun. J. 5-26-04, p. 25275; Amend Coun. J. 3-9-05, p. 44391; Amend Coun. J. 9-13-06, p. 84870, § 2*; Amend Coun. J. 7-29-09, p. 68784, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 5-18-16, p. 24993, § 7)

* Editor's note – The text of the 9-13-06 amendment to the 17-4-603-D table shows changed street names, but without indicating an intent to amend those names through stikethroughs and underlining. Accordingly, those street name changes are being treated as inadvertent and are not shown here.

17-4-0700 Driveways and vehicle access.

   17-4-0701 Purpose. The regulations of this section are intended to ensure safe and efficient (pedestrian and vehicular) traffic flows on downtown streets. The regulations are also intended to promote economic development by ensuring safe and efficient access to downtown's commercial and employment center.

   17-4-0702 Description and Criteria for Designation. Streets that are subject to the driveway and vehicle access standards of this section:

      17-4-0702-A accommodate very high volumes of pedestrian and/or vehicular traffic; and

      17-4-0702-B serve as important connections to downtown commercial, businesses and employment area.

   17-4-0703 Designation and Boundaries.

      17-4-0703-A Streets that are subject to the driveway and vehicle access standards of this section are identified in the text of this Zoning Ordinance and shown on the Official Zoning Atlas.

      17-4-0703-B The driveway and vehicle access standards of this section may be amended only in accordance with the Zoning Ordinance Text and Zoning Map Amendment procedures of Sec. 17-13-0200 and Sec. 17-13-0300. Both a text and map amendment is required.

      17-4-0703-C Driveway and vehicle access standards apply along the following downtown street segments:

Street	Segment
	From	To
Class 1 North-South Streets
Canal	Jackson	Randolph
Orleans	Grand	Ontario
La Salle	Jackson	Wacker
State	Harrison	Wacker
Fairbanks	Illinois	Ontario
Michigan	Roosevelt	Oak
Columbus	Roosevelt	McFetridge
Class 2 North-South Streets
Des Plaines	Wayman	Kinzie
Clinton	Roosevelt	Lake
Canal	Roosevelt	Lake
Kingsbury	Illinois	Grand
Wacker	Van Buren	Columbus
Orleans	Kinzie	Grand
Wells	Harrison	Wacker
Field	Randolph	Wacker
McClurg	N. Water	Huron
Financial	Harrison	Jackson
La Salle	16th	Roosevelt
La Salle	Harrison	Jackson
La Salle	Wacker	Division
Clark	16th	Wacker
Dearborn	Harrison	Wacker
State	25th	Harrison
State	Wacker	Elm
Wabash	25th	Wacker
Wabash	N. Water	Delaware
Rush	N. Water	Delaware
Michigan	25th	Roosevelt
Stetson	Randolph	Lake
Stetson	S. Water	Wacker
St. Clair	Illinois	Superior
Columbus	Roosevelt	Illinois
Fairbanks	Illinois	Chicago
Class 1 East-West Streets
Walton	Michigan	Mies Van Der Rohe
Adams	Canal	La Salle
Roosevelt	Michigan	Lakeshore
Congress	Wells	Michigan
Class 2 East-West Streets
Division	LaSalle	Lakeshore
Oak	State	Lakeshore
Delaware	Rush	Lakeshore
Chestnut	Wabash	Mies Van Der Rohe
Pearson	Wabash	Mies Van Der Rohe
Chicago	Larrabee	Lakeshore
Superior	Rush	Fairbanks
Huron	Rush	Fairbanks
Erie	Rush	Fairbanks
Ontario	Orleans	Lakeshore
Ohio	Orleans	Lakeshore
Grand	Kingsbury	Streeter
Illinois	Kingsbury	Streeter
Water	State	Cityfront Plaza
Kinzie	Union	Larrabee
Kinzie	Canal	Franklin
Wacker	Van Buren	Columbus
Lake	Clinton	Stetson
Randolph	Kennedy Expy	Lakeshore
Washington	Kennedy Expy	Michigan
Madison	Kennedy Expy	Michigan
Des Plaines	Wayman	Kinzie
Monroe	Kennedy Expy	Lakeshore
Adams	Kennedy Expy	Canal
Quincy	Franklin	Wells
Jackson	Kennedy Expy	Lakeshore
Van Buren	Kennedy Expy	Michigan
Harrison	Kennedy Expy	Michigan
Balbo	Michigan	Lakeshore
Roosevelt	Kennedy Expy	Columbus
14th	Clark	State
16th	Clark	State
18th	State	Indiana
Cermak	State	Prairie

 

Figure 17-4-0703

For a printer-friendly PDF version of Figure 17-4-0703, please click here.

   17-4-0704 Standards.

      17-4-0704-A Class 1 Streets. Alleys are intended to serve as the sole means of vehicle access to buildings and uses located along Class 1 streets. New curb cuts and driveway access are prohibited on Class 1 streets. The Zoning Board of Appeals may grant variations only as expressly allowed in Sec. 17-13-1100.

      17-4-0704-B Class 2 Streets. Alleys are intended to serve as the primary means of vehicle access to buildings and uses located along Class 2 streets. New curb cuts and driveway access are permitted on Class 2 streets only when reviewed and approved as an administrative adjustment by the Zoning Administrator. (See Sec. 17-13-1003-S)

(Added Coun. J. 5-26-04, p. 25275; Amend Coun. J. 3-9-05, p. 44391; Amend Coun. J. 9-13-06, p. 84870, § 2)