The following abbreviations are used to record information about zoning district-level regulations and may be used in Land Use Labs products (including our Parcel Reports) delivered to clients. We use these abbreviations to standardize data collection and to facilitate analysis across zoning districts or other geographies. They appear in data entries for regulatory fields that offer alternative compliance options or context-specific rules. If multiple options are given, semicolons separate the options.

Abbreviations that substitute for specific words or phrases include the following:

• / for “per” or “for”

  • Example:  “0.5/elderly” in a Min. Parking field to show a half parking space required for each elderly housing unit

• /BR for “per bedroom”

• /unit for “per unit”

• ‘ for “feet” when used with a number

  • Example:  60’ for “sixty feet”

• ° for “degree”

• > for “greater than”; ≥ for “greater than or equal to”

• < for “less than”; ≤ for “less than or equal to”

• & for “and”

• % for “percent”

• + for “plus”

  • Example:  “1/2BR + 1/add’l BR” for a rule that owners provide one parking space for 2-bedroom units plus an additional parking space for each additional bedroom over 2-bedrooms

• + for “or more”

  • Example:  3+BR for “three or more bedrooms”

• § for “section” (such as the section of a zoning code)

• add’l for “additional”

• ADU for “accessory dwelling unit”

• BA for “bathroom”

• BR for “bedroom”

• 0BR for “studio”

• 1BR for “one bedroom”

• 2BR for “two bedroom,” and so on 

• ft for “foot” or “feet” when used without a number

  • Example: “30’ + 1' add'l ft in height/add'l ft in side yard over 10’” for a rule capping height at 30’ but allowing a one-foot height increase for every additional foot of side setback beyond 10’

• PRD for “planned residential development” regardless of the text specific name for a PRD

• RV for “recreational vehicle”

• SF for “square feet”

Abbreviations used to refer to commonly used concepts that may appear differently in different jurisdictions include: 

• affordable for income-restricted housing, regardless of specific terms found in the text

• elderly for senior or adult housing, regardless of special terms in the text

• sewer for municipal or public sewer or wastewater systems that are not on site

  • Example:  “1 w/sewer; 3 w/out” for a rule requiring a one-acre minimum lot size for housing served by municipal sewer, and three acres for those not so served

• unit for dwelling units or housing units

• water for municipal or public water, or for water otherwise sourced from off the property

  • Example:  “0.5 w/water; 2 w/out” for a rule requiring a half-acre minimum lot for housing served by municipal water, and two acres for those not so served