ZoLa (the Zoning and Land Use Application) is the Department of City Planning's (DCP) web-based Geographic Information Systems (GIS) application that provides the public with up-to-date zoning and related information for New York City. ZoLa is a collaboration between the departments of City Planning and Information Technology and Telecommunications.
ZoLa enables you to explore the New York City map and view zoning-related information on citywide, borough, neighborhood and site-specific levels. The web application page has three main parts:
Along the top, the menu with links to Help (including this User Guide), a feedback form and a general disclaimer.
The Map including the Toolbar to interact with the map.
The Console, on the right side of the page, which contains three major panels:
Search by Location: Search by address, block and lot, intersection or place of interest.
Searched Locations: Provides zoning and related information for the searched locations.
Show Zoning & Related Data on Map: Where users can customize the information displayed on the map.
Within the Console, you can expand and collapse panels as needed. By default "Show Zoning & Related Data on Map" is expanded. Click on any panel name to expand that panel. The content of the panel is hidden when collapsed, but not deleted.
You can resize the area used by the Console and the Map by clicking and dragging the divider between the two areas.
This section explains the different ways you can interact with the map. When you first access ZoLa, you will see a small scale map of the entire City and surrounding area. From here you can either search for a location in the Console or use tools in the Toolbar in the upper-left corner of the map. This section explains the toolbar.
The toolbar allows you to interact with the map. The table below shows each of the tools, with a brief description. Some of the tools perform an immediate action when clicked by the user. Others become the "active tool" after selection and require an interaction with the map with the mouse/cursor.
By default the Identify tool is activated.
The tools available in ZoLa are:
Name
Icon
Description
Full extent
Immediately zooms map out to the full view of New York City and surrounding areas. The active tool does not change.
Zoom Bar
Click or drag the bar to zoom in our out. The active tool does not change.
Pan Bar
Click on any one of the four arrows to pan the map in small increments. The active tool does not change.
Pan
Click and hold the left mouse button on the map, and drag across the map. Pan becomes the active tool when selected.
Zoom In
Click and hold the left mouse button down on the map at one corner of the rectangle to zoom in to. Drag the mouse to the other corner of the rectangle, and release the mouse button. The map will zoom in to the area of the rectangle. Zoom In becomes the active tool when selected.
Identify
Click anywhere on the map to get information about a particular feature. Identify becomes the active tool when selected.
Measure Distance
Measure distances along a linear path. Measure Distance becomes the active tool when selected.
View Aerial Photo/ Remove Aerial Photo
Toggle between a street map and aerial photography. The active tool does not change.
Save/Export
Save the current map in "png" or "pdf" format. The active tool does not change.
Print
Click on the icon to print the current map. The active tool does not change.
Email Map
Send a hyperlink to the current map via email. The active tool does not change.
Create Link
Create a hyperlink to the current map. The active tool does not change.
There are three different tools for changing the map scale.
Zoom In
Click on the "Magnifying Glass” icon in the center of the tool bar and the cursor will change to a small magnifying glass. You can then click anywhere on the map to zoom in one level of magnification and re-center the map on the spot you clicked. You can also click and drag the magnifying glass, thereby selecting an area of the map that you wish to zoom in to.
Zoom Bar
You can jump directly to a certain level of magnification by using the "Zoom” bar in the left portion of the tool bar. The white bar indicates the current level. Click on any other area of the bar to zoom to that level. The very right will zoom in all the way; the very left will zoom out all the way. If you move your mouse over the bar, you will also see some descriptions of the approximate zoom level you would get by clicking there, including "City View,” "Borough View,” "Neighborhood View,” "Block View,” and "Building View.”
You can zoom in and out one level at a time, without re-centering the map, by clicking on the "Plus” (zoom in) and "Minus” (zoom out) buttons directly to the right and left of the "Zoom” bar. Scrolling your mouse wheel, if you have one, will also zoom in and out.
Full Extent
At any time, you can see the full City coverage map by clicking the "Zoom Out to Full City View” icon at the left corner of the tool bar.
The map can be panned in all directions. To pan the map, select the "Pan" tool by clicking on the hand icon at the top of the map. After you do so, the cursor will change to a small image of that hand. You can then click anywhere on the map and drag it in any direction. Once you release the mouse button, the map will shift to the area you selected.
You can also pan the map in small increments by clicking on one of the four arrow buttons located to the right of the Zoom Bar.
Clicking on the "i" button in the center of the toolbox will change the cursor into an arrow with an "i" next to it. With this cursor, you can click anywhere on the map to get information about a particular feature.
The information shown will depend on what features are visible on the map. For information about displaying different data features on the map, see Show Additional Zoning & Related Data on Map. If no additional data is shown and you click on a building or lot on the map, a pop-up with relevant zoning information for the location is displayed.
All zoning information such as zoning district, commercial overlay, special purpose district, limited height district, and zoning map and historic zoning maps are associated with hyperlinks. By clicking the hyperlink you will be redirected to the Department of City Planning’s website for general information.
You can either close the pop-up by clicking the small "Close" box in the upper right of the popup or minimize the pop-up by clicking the "Minimize" button. You can expand it again at any time.
When there are more than two feature layers visible, using the identify tool will identify both layers. Clicking on any of the layers will display more information.
You can navigate back to your identify result list by clicking on the "Back to List" button on the top right hand corner.
You can measure linear distances on the map by clicking on the "Measure Distance" icon in the center of the Tool Bar. After selecting this tool, the cursor changes to an arrow with a measurement line.
Click anywhere on the map to start a line for measuring. Move the cursor and click again to get the distance from the starting point. Clicking again will create new measurements along the path. Double click to stop measuring. You can also change the unit of measurement by double clicking on the Measure Distance icon in the Tool Bar and selecting the desired unit.
View Aerial Photography
In ZoLa you can view either a street map or aerial photography. The aerial photography presented in ZoLa is from 2008. You can switch between the street map and aerial photography by clicking the "Camera” icon in the Tool Bar.
You can export a map and save it as either an Adobe® PDF file or as a PNG (Portable Network Graphics) file by clicking on the "Save/Export" icon on the right side of the toolbar.
Select the desired file type; name the map and click "Save." Click "Cancel" to return to the map without saving.
To print your current display map, click on the "Printer" icon on the right side of the toolbar. Enter the title of the map to get a version of the page that can be easily printed.
Troubleshooting Printing Issues
In order to print maps from the ZoLa application, please verify that you have the Java 5 Plugin (or later). This is available for download from: http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp.
Then, please verify that Java is enabled through your Web browser using the following steps, depending on which browser you use:
Internet Explorer 7 and Up
Go to Tools > Internet Options
Select the Advanced tab, and scroll down to "Java (Sun)"
Check the box next to the Java version
Next, select the Security tab, and select the "Custom Level" button
You can create a link to the current map by clicking on the icon that looks like a chain (link).
Clicking the tool will open a dialog box containing a URL which can be copied and pasted to another document, such as an email message. The URL will then be a link back to the map as it currently appears in the browser.
The console can be used to search for a location, to view zoning information for a location and to change the features displayed on the map. It consists of 3 panels as follows
You can search for a specific location by using the "Search for a Location" panel in the console to the right of the map. Click "Search for a Location" to open the panel. You can search by address, borough block lot, intersection, or place of interest.
If you wish to do additional searches without erasing the results of previous ones, you can click the ">>" icon below the search fields to reveal the "Append Search to Map" checkbox. Check this box before doing a search and the results of that search will be shown on the map in addition to previous searches.
Select "Address" in the "SEARCH TYPE" drop-down menu. Enter the building number in the "ADDRESS NUMBER." field, the street name in the "STREET NAME" field, and select the borough from the "BOROUGH" drop-down menu. Then click the "Find" button in the lower-left of the module, or press the "Enter" key. The map will automatically center and zoom in on that address. The address will either be marked with a star or by highlighting the building footprint associated with that address.
Select "Borough / Block / Lot" in the "SEARCH TYPE" drop-down menu. Select the borough from the "BOROUGH" drop-down menu. Enter a block number and tax lot number in the "BLOCK" and "LOT" fields. Then click the "Find" button in the lower-left of the module, or press the "Enter" key. The map will automatically center and zoom in on that lot. The lot outline or building footprint associated with the borough, block and lot will be highlighted.
Select "Intersection" in the "SEARCH TYPE" drop-down menu. Enter the cross streets in the "CROSS STREET ONE" and "CROSS STREET TWO" fields, and select the borough from the "BOROUGH" drop-down menu. Then click the "Find" button in the lower-left of the module, or press the "Enter" key. The map will automatically center and zoom in on that intersection. The selected area will also be marked with a star icon.
Select "Place of Interest" in the "SEARCH TYPE" drop-down menu. Enter the name of the place in the "PLACE NAME" field and select the borough from the "BOROUGH" drop-down menu. Then click the "Find" button in the lower-left of the module, or press the "Enter" key. The map will automatically center and zoom in on that place. The selected area will also be marked with a star icon. This feature allows you to search a wide variety of City landmarks and notable destinations.
However you search, the map will automatically center and zoom in on that location. The selected area will also be marked with a star icon or highlighted/outlined. The location will show up to the right of the map within the Searched Locations panel.
The Searched Locations panel displays information about the user-entered property in three sections: "Zoning Information," "Additional Zoning Information," and "Building & Property Information".
After you enter a search into ZoLa, the Searched Locations panel expands automatically to display "Zoning Information" for your current searched location. To open any of the sections, click on its corresponding section title. If the other section options are not displayed in the window, you may need to scroll using your mouse or keypad to bring them into the view.
The "Zoning" section opens automatically when any search is performed. It displays zoning information related to the lot associated with the searched location. The information in this section comes from the Department of City Planning’s Zoning Database.
For most locations, this section displays the borough, block and lot number, the zoning district associated with that lot, the zoning map and historic zoning maps on which the lot can be found. By clicking on the value of the zoning district (e.g., C6-4 in the example above) you can view general information about the zoning district in the Zoning Reference section of the Department of City Planning’s website.
From the zoning information panel you can also access the historic zoning maps. These maps are in PDF documents containing all adopted zoning section maps since 1961 that were either printed in the Zoning Resolution or posted on DCP's website.
If the searched lot falls within a commercial overlay, special purpose district and/or limited height district, that information will be shown in the Zoning section. Clicking the values in any of these fields will direct you to related general information in the Zoning Reference.
For some lots, the Zoning section will show multiple values in one or more of the fields. Multiple values indicate that the boundary between adjoining districts runs through the lot. Such lots are called split lots. The Zoning section has links to the Zoning Reference for all listed districts.
Note that if the searched location is an intersection, no information is provided in the Zoning section. A searched location has to be associated with a particular lot in order to show data in the Zoning section.
The "Additional Zoning Information" section displays information about other zoning related features that may affect the searched location. These features include:
FRESH Program Areas;
Inclusionary Housing Designated Areas;
Lower Density Growth Management Areas;
Waterfront Access Plans;
and if the lot may be subject to waterfront regulations.
For more details about the program, click on the hyperlink to navigate to the website.
Most lots in the city are not subject to these additional regulations. The Additional Zoning Information section will show the message "No additional zoning information found for this location."
The "Building and Property Information" section displays building and property information related to the searched location. This information is updated twice a year in the Department of City Planning’s PLUTO and MapPLUTO data. The data comes from several city agencies.
In addition to information on specific addresses and points of interest, ZoLa can display the boundaries of various zoning and related areas in the City on the map. The "Show Zoning & Related Data on Map" panel at the bottom of the Console allows you to choose which types of features (or layers) to display.
All information on the application is updated at the end of every month. There may be a lag between when an action occurs and when the information is entered into the system. The Department and the City make no representation as to the accuracy of the information, its timeliness, or its suitability for any purpose. The Department and the City disclaims any liability for errors that may be contained herein.
ZoLa groups available map layers into following categories:
Zoning
Other Zoning Designations
Environmental Requirements
Waterfront
Land Use
Other Program Areas
Landmark
Administrative
By default all these categories are collapsed. Click the plus symbol in the "Show Zoning & Related Data on Map" to expand the category. Click the minus symbol to collapse an opened category.
By checking off the box next to one or more districts, they will appear on the map.
NOTE: Certain data layers require a minimum level of magnification to display properly. If the map is zoomed out to too small a scale, they will display as gray checkboxes on the menu and you will not be able to select them. Zoom in until the boxes turn white.
The zoning category consists of all layers related to zoning districts, these include:
Zoning group layer
Commercial Overlay
Zoning Districts
Zoning Districts Thematic
Special Purpose District
Special Purpose Subdistrict
Limited Height District
Zoning Map Amendment
Zoning group layer
This layer groups 3 different map layers together as described above. Which of these three layers are shown depends on the map scale. At small scales (the Borough view on the scale bar) The "Zoning District Thematic" layer is displayed. This is a generalized display that is color-coded to show basic zoning designations:
Residence District (lower density)
Residence District (medium and higher density)
Commercial District
Mixed Use District
Manufacturing District
Battery Park City
Park
As the user zooms in to the neighborhood view, the Zoning District Thematic layer is turned off and the "Zoning District" layer becomes visible. The "Commercial Overlay" layer becomes visible at the Block view. The labels for the Zoning District and Commercial Overlay layers also are scale dependent.
Borough View (Zoning District Thematic)
Neighborhood View (Zoning District)
Block View (Zoning District and Commercial Overlay)
Special Purpose District and Special Purpose Subdistrict
The special purpose districts are areas that are designated with specific zoning requirements and/or zoning incentives for development. Some special districts have areas that are designated as subdistricts which may have additional restrictions.
Special Purpose District
Special Purpose subdistrict
Limited Height District
The layer displays polygon features representing limited height districts. Using the identify button you can click on a location that has limited height district to get additional information and the "Limited Height District information" hyperlink. By clicking the hyperlink you will be redirected to the Department of City Planning’s website for more information.
Zoning Map Amendment
It displays outlines of both adopted and proposed zoning map changes since 2002. These zoning changes include DCP initiatives as well as private zoning applications. Adopted initiatives are shown in green and certified/in public review initiatives are in brown.
You can use the identify "i" tool on the Toolbar to get more information about the zoning map amendment. The information displayed will depend on if it's a private rezoning or DCP initiative.
DCP Initiated Zoning Change
Private Zoning Change
For DCP initiated zoning changes, there is the addition of a "Department of City Planning Initiative" hyperlink that will redirect users to the proposal on DCP’s website.
It includes map layers that have special designation in the Zoning Resolution. These special rules and requirements provide incentives for development when used with the existing zoning.
This category includes following layers:
Inclusionary Housing Designated Area
Lower Density Growth Management Area
FRESH Food store Area
Using the identity button on these layers will redirect users to the Department of City Planning’s website for more information.
Inclusionary Housing Designated Area
This includes areas where the Inclusionary Housing Program is applicable. The program offers a floor area ratio (FAR) bonus for developments that provide permanently affordable housing.
Inclusionary Housing Designated Area
Lower Density Growth Management Area
A Lower Density Growth Management Area is an area designated in the Zoning Resolution where new developments must provide more off-street parking, larger yards and more open space than would otherwise be required in the applicable zoning districts in Staten Island and Bronx Community District 10.
Lower Density Growth Management Area
FRESH Program
The FRESH program now includes areas representing New York City Industrial Development Agency (NYCIDA) eligible (discretionary tax incentives) and zoning incentive areas within the city. The map is displayed in thematic format with 3 eligible areas 1) Discretionary tax incentives 2) Zoning and discretionary tax incentives 3) Zoning incentives based on the available incentives.
This category includes any environmental-related requirements for a property. It includes the environmental designation layer.
Environmental Designation
This is a point feature representing approximate location of property that may be affected by noise or air quality, or hazardous material contamination.
Using the identify tool on any of the point features will provide general information about the affected property. For additional information you can click on the hyperlinks.
All tax lot changes that may have occurred since the establishment of a particular (E) designation may not be reflected in these point features. If a property of interest is located on the same block as an (E) designation, further research is recommended.
Waterfront Access Plan (WAP)
A waterfront access plan is a specific plan set forth in the Zoning Resolution that tailors waterfront bulk regulations and public access requirements to the specific conditions of a particular waterfront area.
Waterfront Access Plan
Coastal Boundary
The coastal zone boundary defines the geographic scope of New York City's Waterfront Revitalization Program (WRP). Pursuant to federal statute, the boundary encompasses all land and water of direct and significant impact on coastal waters. Federal lands and facilities are excluded from the coastal zone and consistency review in accordance with federal legislation. However, should the federal government dispose of any coastal property, it would be included in the coastal zone.
The land use category displays the primary land use layer for an area. It is a color-coded thematic map of all the major land use usage within the city.
For any layer under “Show Zoning & Related Data on Map”, abridged metadata can be viewed. Right click on the layer name and select “Display Metadata for …” This will vary depending on the layer. You can also navigate to the full version of metadata by clicking on the hyperlink in the metadata.
All rights to the content of this website are reserved by the New York City Department of City Planning to the extent permitted by law. You may print copies of this information for your own personal use. No part of these pages may otherwise be reproduced or distributed in any form or medium without express permission of the New York City Department of City Planning. See Copyright Policy.
Brief explanations of terms in green italics can be viewed by clicking on the term. Words and phrases followed by an asterisk (*) are defined terms in the Zoning Resolution, primarily in Section 12-10. Consult the Zoning Resolution for the official and legally binding definitions of these words and phrases.
in the "Show Zoning & Related Data on Map" to expand the category. Click the minus symbol 
to collapse an opened category.
