Columbus Proposes Zoning Updates for Nearly Half the City

Columbus Proposes Zoning Updates for Nearly Half the City

Published on August 20, 2026

Contact: Jennifer Fening, Office of the Mayor, cell: (614) 309-4147

Draft proposal expands housing opportunities, updates conditions for modern employment centers and creates clearer development standards

COLUMBUS, OH - Today, Mayor Andrew J. Ginther submitted a new proposal to modernize Columbus' zoning code to Columbus City Council, marking another significant milestone in Zone In, the city's multi-year effort to update a zoning code written more than seven decades ago. The proposal would establish new zoning districts and updated development standards for more than 70,000 parcels - roughly 41 percent of the city.

Two years ago, Columbus began modernizing its zoning code along 140 miles of the city's primary mixed-use corridors, creating conditions that will support the construction of more than 80,000 additional homes than the existing code would have enabled. The proposal released today builds on that work across additional mixed-use corridors, industrial and warehouse districts, and business and institutional campuses. If adopted, it is expected to increase housing capacity in these areas from approximately 13,000 homes under current zoning, to approximately 119,000 homes over 10 years.

"Zoning doesn't determine whether Columbus grows, but it does determine how Columbus grows," said Mayor Ginther. "We've already seen how modern zoning can expand housing opportunities and create greater certainty for neighborhoods and investment. This proposal builds on that progress by bringing those same principles to more of our city - creating more opportunities for people to live near jobs and services, supporting the employers that drive our economy and establishing clearer expectations for how development should occur."

Specifically, this proposal encourages opportunities for housing and mixed-use developments in places where jobs, neighborhood services and transportation are located together while continuing the use of housing incentives to promote new mixed-income and affordable residential development.

It also modernizes zoning for industrial districts, logistics centers, business parks, hospitals, universities and other major employment centers, giving property owners greater flexibility to reinvest in their properties and adapt to changing market conditions while establishing clearer, more compatible transitions with surrounding neighborhoods.

The proposal expands market-driven parking standards to better reflect surrounding building uses and access to transit; establishes clearer design expectations from the outset of the development process; and reorganizes the zoning code into a more consistent, user-friendly format that is easier to understand.

Since this phase of the Zone In program began last summer, city staff have connected with thousands of residents through workshops, Area Commission presentations, neighborhood meetings, civic organizations, community events and online engagement. Public feedback directly informed both the underlying policy foundation - known as the Columbus Growth Strategy - for this phase of work as well as the zoning proposal now before City Council.

"When we launched Phase I, we committed to modernizing our outdated zoning code defined by red lines and red tape," said Council President Pro Tem Rob Dorans, chair of City Council's Zoning Committee. "Two years later, Zone In is a proven success, and Phase II is our opportunity to build a sustainable, abundant future. I urge all Columbus residents to learn about Zone In, take the survey and share your vital feedback to help shape the next generation of our city together."

The draft zoning code proposal is now available online at columbus.gov/zoningupdate. On Monday, August 24, Columbus City Council will consider a resolution initiating the public comment period. If approved, the public comment period will run from August 25 through October 24.

Beginning Tuesday, August 25, residents can offer feedback on the proposal online, or visit the Zone In Public Gallery, located at 141 N. Front Street, where interactive exhibits, maps and city staff will help visitors explore the proposed zoning changes. Residents are invited to visit the Zone In website to view the gallery's hours or schedule an appointment with members of the Zone In team.

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