Southfield, Michigan zoning

A plain-language summary of the Southfield zoning ordinance, organized by district and topic. Source: the official ordinance on city-hosted PDF, last reviewed June 15, 2026.

Zoning districts

R-AResidential
Single Family Residence
Small-lot single family district. Article 5 applies to R-A through R-E, and the schedule lists a 7,500 square foot minimum lot area for R-A.
R-1Residential
Single Family Residence
Single family district with a 9,000 square foot minimum lot area, 70 foot minimum lot width, and 40 foot front setback.
R-2Residential
Single Family Residence
Single family district with the same basic dimensional line as R-1 in the schedule.
R-3Residential
Single Family Residence
Single family district with a 9,000 square foot minimum lot area and a 1,200 square foot minimum floor area.
R-4Residential
Single Family Residence
Single family district with larger side yard and floor area requirements than R-1 through R-3.
R-EResidential
Single Family Residence
Estate single family district with a 20,000 square foot minimum lot area and 90 foot minimum lot width.
R-TResidential
Attached Single Family Residential
Attached single family district for townhouse-style one-family attached dwellings, with density, perimeter setback, height, open-space, and building-length controls in Article 6 and the residential schedule.
RMResidential
Multiple Family Residential Low Rise
Low-rise multiple family district with site plan review, single-family and two-family allowances, and multiple-family dwellings limited to two stories. The residential schedule lists a 2 acre development area and a 30 foot, 2 story height line.
RMMResidential
Multiple Family Residential Medium Rise
Medium-rise multiple family district for multiple-family structures between 3 and 6 stories, regulated with the RMM and RMU provisions in Article 8.
RMUResidential
Multiple Family Residential High Rise
High-rise multiple family district for multiple-family structures of 7 stories or more, with required land area per unit determined by footnote (u) and height controlled by yard compliance.
RMHResidential
Mobile Home Park
Mobile home park district for large vacant unplatted areas serving as transition zones. Article 5-A permits one-family and double-wide mobile homes, customary accessory uses, and required parking, with a **25 acre** minimum site size, **7,500 square feet** of land area per mobile home, **1,000 square feet** minimum floor area, and a **50 foot** development boundary setback.
O-SCommercial
Office-Service
Small office and service district intended as a transition between intensive corridors and residential areas.
ERO-MCommercial
Education-Research-Office-Limited
Medium-height education, research, and office district for administrative, professional, and technical services.
EROCommercial
Education-Research-Office
Education, research, and office district for larger office uses and related occupant-serving uses.
TRCommercial
Technical-Education-Research
Technical, education, and research district regulated by Article 11. Permitted uses are principally education, research, technical training, related accessory uses, and incidental dormitories or instructor quarters, subject to Article 11 performance standards and Article 22 bulk controls.
TV-RCommercial
Television-Radio-Office-Studio
Television-radio-office-studio district for broadcast towers, transmitters, broadcasting studios, data processing and computer centers, and directly related uses, subject to City Council review.
NSCommercial
Neighborhood Shopping
Neighborhood shopping district for local convenience and comparison shopping, generally at major-thoroughfare intersections.
RSCommercial
Regional Shopping
Regional shopping district for large concentrations of comparison shopping, office, and service uses.
RCMixed use
Regional Center
High-intensity planned district combining high-rise office, high-rise multiple family, hotels, motels, and secondary retail or service uses.
B-1Commercial
Neighborhood Business
Business district for day-to-day convenience shopping and services serving adjacent residential areas.
B-2Commercial
Planned Business
Planned business district for convenience and comparison shopping in integrated clusters with common parking.
B-3Commercial
General Business
General business district for diversified business types along high-volume major thoroughfares.
I-LIndustrial
Light Industrial
Light industrial district for wholesale, warehouse, research, and enclosed industrial operations with limited off-site effects.
I-1Industrial
Industrial
Industrial district for manufacturing, research, office, enclosed recreation, data processing, and similar uses.
PSpecial purpose
Vehicular Parking
District for vehicular parking uses and related development regulations. Article 21 permits passenger-vehicle parking lots for vehicles not exceeding 3 tons and parking periods under 48 hours, with only limited attendant shelters; new-car storage may be allowed by special approval.

Code	Name	Category	Summary
R-A	Single Family Residence	Residential	Small-lot single family district. Article 5 applies to R-A through R-E, and the schedule lists a 7,500 square foot minimum lot area for R-A.
R-1	Single Family Residence	Residential	Single family district with a 9,000 square foot minimum lot area, 70 foot minimum lot width, and 40 foot front setback.
R-2	Single Family Residence	Residential	Single family district with the same basic dimensional line as R-1 in the schedule.
R-3	Single Family Residence	Residential	Single family district with a 9,000 square foot minimum lot area and a 1,200 square foot minimum floor area.
R-4	Single Family Residence	Residential	Single family district with larger side yard and floor area requirements than R-1 through R-3.
R-E	Single Family Residence	Residential	Estate single family district with a 20,000 square foot minimum lot area and 90 foot minimum lot width.
R-T	Attached Single Family Residential	Residential	Attached single family district for townhouse-style one-family attached dwellings, with density, perimeter setback, height, open-space, and building-length controls in Article 6 and the residential schedule.
RM	Multiple Family Residential Low Rise	Residential	Low-rise multiple family district with site plan review, single-family and two-family allowances, and multiple-family dwellings limited to two stories. The residential schedule lists a 2 acre development area and a 30 foot, 2 story height line.
RMM	Multiple Family Residential Medium Rise	Residential	Medium-rise multiple family district for multiple-family structures between 3 and 6 stories, regulated with the RMM and RMU provisions in Article 8.
RMU	Multiple Family Residential High Rise	Residential	High-rise multiple family district for multiple-family structures of 7 stories or more, with required land area per unit determined by footnote (u) and height controlled by yard compliance.
RMH	Mobile Home Park	Residential	Mobile home park district for large vacant unplatted areas serving as transition zones. Article 5-A permits one-family and double-wide mobile homes, customary accessory uses, and required parking, with a 25 acre minimum site size, 7,500 square feet of land area per mobile home, 1,000 square feet minimum floor area, and a 50 foot development boundary setback.
O-S	Office-Service	Commercial	Small office and service district intended as a transition between intensive corridors and residential areas.
ERO-M	Education-Research-Office-Limited	Commercial	Medium-height education, research, and office district for administrative, professional, and technical services.
ERO	Education-Research-Office	Commercial	Education, research, and office district for larger office uses and related occupant-serving uses.
TR	Technical-Education-Research	Commercial	Technical, education, and research district regulated by Article 11. Permitted uses are principally education, research, technical training, related accessory uses, and incidental dormitories or instructor quarters, subject to Article 11 performance standards and Article 22 bulk controls.
TV-R	Television-Radio-Office-Studio	Commercial	Television-radio-office-studio district for broadcast towers, transmitters, broadcasting studios, data processing and computer centers, and directly related uses, subject to City Council review.
NS	Neighborhood Shopping	Commercial	Neighborhood shopping district for local convenience and comparison shopping, generally at major-thoroughfare intersections.
RS	Regional Shopping	Commercial	Regional shopping district for large concentrations of comparison shopping, office, and service uses.
RC	Regional Center	Mixed use	High-intensity planned district combining high-rise office, high-rise multiple family, hotels, motels, and secondary retail or service uses.
B-1	Neighborhood Business	Commercial	Business district for day-to-day convenience shopping and services serving adjacent residential areas.
B-2	Planned Business	Commercial	Planned business district for convenience and comparison shopping in integrated clusters with common parking.
B-3	General Business	Commercial	General business district for diversified business types along high-volume major thoroughfares.
I-L	Light Industrial	Industrial	Light industrial district for wholesale, warehouse, research, and enclosed industrial operations with limited off-site effects.
I-1	Industrial	Industrial	Industrial district for manufacturing, research, office, enclosed recreation, data processing, and similar uses.
P	Vehicular Parking	Special purpose	District for vehicular parking uses and related development regulations. Article 21 permits passenger-vehicle parking lots for vehicles not exceeding 3 tons and parking periods under 48 hours, with only limited attendant shelters; new-car storage may be allowed by special approval.

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