Pittsburgh Zoning Districts - GPR-A Uses
By Carolyn Ristau
Uses
Zoning districts regulate what uses are permitted through what approval paths. Any use not listed in the following four categories would require a use variance from the zoning board to proceed, unless the zoning administrator determines it is a use-not-listed that can be reviewed by staff.
While most zoning districts are found in the use table, the Public Realm districts are not. The uses for these districts are found in the district’s sections of the zoning code. As of March 2025, the following uses are allowable in the GPR-A (Grandview Public Realm Subdistrict A) zoning district as per Section 908.02.D.1. Note: Whenever there is a code amendment it often takes months for the online version to be updated. Zoning staff have access to the most recent code amendments, which can also be found on the city’s online legislation center.
Permitted-by-Right (P)
This section lists the uses that are permitted-by-right. These uses can be approved administratively by staff and were often referred to as “over-the-counter” under the in-person, paper submittal process. (As this is Pittsburgh, the phrase will likely stick for some time even now that the online submittal process has essentially done away with the counter.)
Note: Permitted-by-right is permitted only provided that all applicable zoning code regulations are met, not just the use standards.
Single-Unit Detached Residential
Single-Unit Attached Residential
Two-Unit Residential
Other Uses
The zoning code standards for the GPR subdistricts include a standard for use exceptions that was not updated with the last major code rewording. The interpretation of this standard is not clear, but for subdistrict A it may be that in addition to those uses permitted-by-right as listed above, additional uses may be permitted through Administrator Exception, Special Exception, or Conditional Use as identified in the R2 (Two-Unit Residential) zoning district.
For Additional Information
See our overview of the GPR for more about this district and our Introduction to Pittsburgh’s Zoning Districts for the complete list of base zoning districts in the city.
Need More Help?
Visit our Pittsburgh Zoning Consulting page to request one or more of the following services:
a 30- or 60-minute Zoning On-Call virtual meeting to ask your specific questions about Pittsburgh’s zoning ordinance
a Use Restrictions & Zoning Report to check for any potential use and zoning issues on a property you want to buy
a Zoning Plan Check to preemptively resolve or accommodate zoning issues that may otherwise cause unexpected delays or cost overruns during the permitting process
