Pittsburgh Zoning Districts - RIV Density

By Kathleen Oldrey and Carolyn Ristau

Density and Height Standards

Zoning districts regulate the height of primary uses and the density of a site. Instead of the minimum lot size found in primarily residential zoning districts, mixed-use zoning districts like the OPR-B (Oakland Public Realm Subdistrict B) use floor area ratios (FARs) and maximum lot coverage to regulate density. Height and setbacks (the distance between the property line and the building, structure, or use) are also used to control density. If there is a site-specific hardship that prevents a proposed project from meeting these standards, a dimensional variance may be sought from the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA).

The RIV’s density regulations focus less on setbacks and FAR than many of the city’s other zoning districts, and instead place most of the emphasis on requirements related to structure placement, building design, building length, and build-to zones. The bonus point system used in the RIV zoning district can modify some of the requirements. 

Below we dive into the base density requirements for the RIV. Additional posts dive into the nuances of the height regulations in the RIV, the RIV performance points, and the RIV’s district-specific design standards.

Note: Accessory uses may have more restrictive height standards and more permissive setback regulations. We will discuss this more in a later post. 

Note: The zoning code standards listed in this post were those available in the online zoning code as of September 2022. 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.

Standards

• Minimum lot size: none

• Build-to Zone:

  • When abutting a street: at least 60% of the building frontage must be placed 0-10 feet from the street lot line

  • When along pedestrian-oriented open space exceeding open space requirements within 200 feet of a stadium (by Administrator Exception in the RIV-NS only): at least 80% of the building frontage must be placed 0-10 feet from the street lot line

• Riparian Buffer Setback:

  • For Water-Dependent Facilities or Uses, Water-Enhanced Facilities or Uses, or open space amenity accessory uses: 0 feet from the Project Pool Elevation of the river

  • For all other uses: 125 feet from the Project Pool Elevation of the river (reducible via the Performance Points system or contextually based on placement of structures on adjacent parcels)

• Minimum front setback: 0 ft

• Minimum rear setback:

  • For Single-Unit Attached Residential, Two-Unit Residential, and Three-Unit Residential, when not adjacent to a way: 5 feet

  • For Single-Unit Attached Residential, Two-Unit Residential, and Three-Unit Residential, when adjacent to a way: 2 feet

  • For all other uses: 0 feet

• Minimum exterior/street side setback: 0 ft

• Minimum interior side setback: 0 ft

• Maximum building length: 500 ft (non-stadium uses)

• Minimum height: 24 feet

• Maximum height:

  • Without Bonus: 60 feet/45 feet (varies based on the Zoning Max Height Overlay)

  • With Bonus: varies based on the Zoning Max Height Overlay

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For Additional Information

See our overview of the RIV for more about this district and our Introduction to Pittsburgh’s Zoning Districts for the complete list of base zoning districts in the city.