Atlanta Zoning | Proposed Rewrite
ATL Zoning 2.0: Status of Atlanta's Zoning Rewrite (October 2026)
ATL Zoning 2.0 is the City of Atlanta's name for its new zoning ordinance. It has not been adopted. The ordinance, 26-O-1508, was referred to the City Council's Zoning Committee on September 8, 2026, and the committee held it on September 14 and September 28, 2026. The text attached to it is marked "Draft V2, December 19, 2025." This page gives the official record first, then what the draft proposes for homes per lot, accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and parking. Every number from the draft is a proposal.
ATL Zoning 2.0 in six facts
- The rewrite ordinance is 26-O-1508. On October 6, 2026 the Atlanta City Council file listed its status as "Held in Committee." Source: Council file 26-O-1508
- Council referred the ordinance to its Zoning Committee on September 8, 2026. The committee held it on September 14 and again on September 28, 2026. Source: Council file 26-O-1508, meeting history
- The text attached to the ordinance is a 981-page file whose cover reads "DRAFT V2 | December 19, 2025." Source: 26-O-1508, Exhibit 1 (PDF)
- If adopted, the ordinance would replace the 1982 Atlanta Zoning Ordinance and take effect 30 days after it becomes law. Source: Council file 26-O-1508
- Draft V2 proposes one home per lot in districts H1 to H6, N1, N2A, N3A and N4A, two in N2B, N3B and N4B, six in N5A and twelve in N5B. Source: Draft V2, Chapter 2: Form Districts
- The City says the Neighborhood Planning Unit system is regulated outside the Zoning Ordinance and that no changes to its structure are anticipated. Source: ATL Zoning 2.0 questions and answers
Status in the Official Record
The legislative file for 26-O-1508 on the City Council's site shows the ordinance text, its attachments and its meeting history. Councilmember Mary Norwood of District 8 is the sponsor. VanPlex read the file on October 6, 2026. Its status line read "Held in Committee."
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| July 2025 | The City adopted its Comprehensive Development Plan, "Plan A: 2025," by ordinance 25-O-1224. The plan is the policy base for the rewrite. |
| September 2, 2025 | The City reports that it had received "nearly 1,000 comments" on Draft V1 through this date. |
| September and October 2025 | The City tested Draft V1 on 27 real development projects. |
| December 19, 2025 | Draft V2 was released, and its public comment period opened. |
| April 8, 2026 | The Draft V2 comment period closed. The ordinance records "over 1,761 comments," 46,084 views of the draft documents and 472 mailed or emailed comments. |
| May 4, 2026 | Council adopted resolution 26-R-3427 (approved May 13, 2026), asking the Department of City Planning to submit the legislation by June 30, 2026. |
| September 8, 2026 | Ordinance 26-O-1508 was referred to the Zoning Committee without objection. |
| September 14, 2026 | The Zoning Committee held the ordinance by a unanimous vote. The file notes: "Substituted and held 9/14/26 for further review." |
| September 21, 2026 | The full Council returned the ordinance as held to the Zoning Committee. |
| September 28, 2026 | The Zoning Committee held the ordinance again. |
Sources: Council file 26-O-1508 (opening statements and meeting history) and the ATL Zoning December 2025 update.
"Held" means the committee kept the ordinance and did not send it to the full Council for a vote. The record shows no later action as of October 6, 2026, and no date for a vote.
What Is Law Today
The ordinance's own opening statements say the City "continues to exercise the power of zoning through the 1982 Atlanta Zoning Ordinance, as amended." That ordinance is Part 16 of the City Code, and it is what the City applies to every permit and rezoning today. Under it, R-1 through R-4B permit one house per lot, R-4 and R-4A add one detached ADU of up to 750 square feet, and R-5 permits two homes. The zoning districts page has the full table.
If Council adopts 26-O-1508, the new ordinance "shall become effective 30 days after it becomes law." The City's December 2025 update describes the same 30-day gap between adoption and the effective date.
The Schedule the City Planned
The December 2025 update set out a schedule: introduction in January 2026, review by the Neighborhood Planning Units in February and March 2026, a Zoning Review Board public hearing in April 2026, a Draft V3 in April or May 2026, and City Council in May 2026. It added: "All dates are subject to change." The ordinance reached the Zoning Committee on September 8, 2026.
The project site says that "now that commenting has closed, a final version (Draft V3) is being prepared for City Council consideration," and its home page says "Draft V3 is underway." The text attached to the ordinance on September 14, 2026 is still Draft V2. Its file name is "Exhibit 1 (9.14.2026) ATL Zoning 2.0_v2_CLEAN."
Proposed: Form Districts and Homes per Lot
Draft V2 replaces the R names with form districts, which set the size and shape of buildings and the number of homes on a lot. House-scale districts are named H1 to H6. Neighborhood-scale districts are named N1 to N6B. The table lists what Draft V2 proposes. FAR is the floor area ratio: the floor area of the buildings divided by the area of the lot.
| Proposed district | Minimum lot | Homes per lot | Maximum FAR | R district with the same minimum lot today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H1 | 2 acres | 1 | 0.25 | R-1 |
| H2 | 1 acre | 1 | 0.30 | R-2 |
| H3 | 30,000 sq ft | 1 | 0.35 | R-2A |
| H4 | 28,000 sq ft | 1 | 0.40 | R-2B |
| H5 | 18,000 sq ft | 1 | 0.40 | R-3 |
| H6 | 13,500 sq ft | 1 | 0.45 | R-3A |
| N1 | 9,000 sq ft | 1 | 0.50 | R-4 |
| N2A | 7,500 sq ft | 1 | 0.55 | R-4A, R-5 |
| N2B | 7,500 sq ft | 2 | 0.60 | R-4A, R-5 |
| N3A | 5,000 sq ft | 1 | 0.60 | None |
| N3B | 5,000 sq ft | 2 | 0.65 | None |
| N4A | 2,800 sq ft | 1 | 0.65 | R-4B |
| N4B | 2,800 sq ft | 2 | 0.70 | R-4B |
| N5A | 2,000 sq ft | 6 | None | None |
| N5B | 2,000 sq ft | 12 | None | None |
| N6A | 2,000 sq ft | Unlimited | 1.0 | None |
| N6B | 2,000 sq ft | Unlimited | 1.75 | None |
Proposed. Source: ATL Zoning 2.0 Draft V2, Chapter 2: Form Districts (Sections 2.2.2 and 2.3.2), and the identical tables in Exhibit 1 to 26-O-1508 (PDF, 981 pages). The last column compares minimum lot sizes only.
Three points matter for an owner of a house lot. First, H1 to H6 have the same lot sizes and floor area ratios as today's R-1, R-2, R-2A, R-2B, R-3 and R-3A, with one home per lot and a height of 3 stories or 35 feet. Second, the draft pairs each small-lot size with an "A" district of one home and a "B" district of two homes: N2A and N2B at 7,500 square feet, N3A and N3B at 5,000, N4A and N4B at 2,800. Third, N5A would allow six homes and N5B twelve on a lot of 2,000 square feet, with no floor area ratio.
Which lots would get a "B" district depends on the draft zoning map, one of the exhibits to the ordinance. The City's questions and answers page answers "Will my property be rezoned?" with "Maybe," explains that districts may be renamed or consolidated, and adds: "No other Official Zoning Map changes (rezoning) are anticipated at this time."
Proposed: Accessory Dwelling Units
Today an ADU in Atlanta must be detached, may have at most 750 square feet, and is listed in R-4, R-4A and R-5 only. Draft V2 would change all three points. Its use districts chapter says "accessory dwelling units may be attached or detached from the principal dwelling unit" and "the total floor area of each accessory dwelling unit is limited to 850 square feet." The number allowed would depend on a use district, a second label on each lot that sets which uses are allowed.
| Proposed use district | ADUs proposed per lot |
|---|---|
| R1 | None |
| R2 | 1 |
| R3 | Up to 2 |
| R4 | Up to 4 |
| R5 | Up to 2 |
Proposed. Source: Draft V2, Chapter 4: Use Districts, Use Table 1 and Section 4.6.2.A. R1 to R5 here are the draft's use districts. VanPlex has not confirmed how they line up with today's R-1 to R-5 zoning districts.
The draft adds two conditions. ADU floor area would count toward the lot's floor area ratio. And an ADU would not be allowed on a lot that already holds more homes than its form district permits. The ADU page sets the current rules next to these.
Proposed: Parking
Exhibit 1 divides the city into parking zones, shown on one of the maps attached to the ordinance. Its vehicle parking table proposes these rules for homes:
| Homes on the lot | Parking Zones 1 and 2 | Parking Zone 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 2 homes in house-scale (H) and neighborhood-scale (N) districts | No minimum | Minimum of 1 space per home |
| More than 2 homes | No minimum. Maximum of 2 spaces per home | No minimum |
Proposed. Source: Exhibit 1 to 26-O-1508, vehicle parking section (PDF, 981 pages).
Two more proposed rules affect small projects. "When a lot is within 1/2 mile walking distance of a high-capacity transit station lot or entry, the lot may apply the parking requirements of Parking Zone 1." And "buildings built before 1965 are not required to meet minimum parking requirements," with an exception for alcohol-licensed uses over 1,200 square feet.
One line in the exhibit's parking reduction section reads: "For residential uses, there will be no minimum parking requirement." The table above still sets one space per home for one or two homes in Parking Zone 3, so read the table for your zone and treat the sentence as limited to the section it sits in.
Proposed: Older Buildings With More Homes Than the District Allows
A Department of City Planning page counts "at least 2,418 2 and 3 family housing units" that already exist in single-family zoned neighborhoods. Draft V2 addresses older buildings of this kind in Section 4.3.1: "In buildings that contained multiple dwelling units before 1946, and the number of dwelling units is greater than what is allowed by the Form District, the building and number of dwelling units are considered conforming." Conforming means the building is treated as meeting the code. A building whose extra homes were first created after 1945 would be nonconforming, meaning it does not meet the district's rules.
What the City Says Will Stay the Same
- Neighborhood Planning Units. The City's page says: "The NPU system is regulated outside the Zoning Ordinance and no changes to its structure are anticipated."
- Historic and landmark districts. The ordinance re-adopts their rules as Chapter 6 of the new text, and the City describes the changes as technical clean-ups. The ordinance lists 11 Landmark Districts, 10 Historic Districts and one Conservation District.
- Recent rezoning conditions. Section 3 of the ordinance keeps "all current conditions of rezoning ordinances introduced and adopted between January 1, 2000, and the effective date of this ordinance." Conditions from before January 1, 2000 would be repealed, subject to vested rights.
The State Hearing Rules That Apply
Georgia's HB 155 (2025) changed the state Zoning Procedures Law, and Part II of the act took effect on July 1, 2025. When a local government amends its zoning ordinance so that single-family districts allow multifamily uses, the decision must be adopted at two regular meetings held at least 15 and at most 45 days apart. At least two public hearings must be held three to nine months before the final vote, and one of them must take place between 5:00 P.M. and 8:00 P.M. Georgia law sets this schedule for any such change. Whether and how it applies to 26-O-1508 is a question for the City's attorneys.
How to Plan While the Ordinance Is Pending
Design and budget to the current code. A permit filed today is reviewed under the 1982 ordinance, and a lot zoned R-4 today allows one house and one detached ADU. If your plan works only under a proposed district, such as two homes in N2B, you are relying on three things that have not happened: adoption of the ordinance, the 30-day wait, and your lot receiving that district on the final map.
Check the Council file before any decision that depends on the rewrite. The meeting history records each action on the ordinance, and the attachments list shows which draft is attached. A rezoning under the current code remains available in the meantime. The approvals page explains it.
Best For
- ✓ Owners who want to know what their lot could become and can wait for a Council vote.
- ✓ Buyers comparing lots, who can check each lot on the draft zoning map exhibit.
- ✓ Owners of older houses that held several homes before 1946, which the draft would treat as conforming.
Usually Fails When
- ✕ A purchase price or loan assumes two homes on a lot that is zoned for one today.
- ✕ A plan treats Draft V2 numbers as final. The project site says a Draft V3 is being prepared.
- ✕ A schedule assumes a vote date. The Council record shows none.
What To Verify Before Spending Money
- → The status and meeting history of 26-O-1508 on the City Council legislation site.
- → Which draft is attached to the ordinance, from the attachments list.
- → Your lot on the draft zoning district map and the draft parking zone map.
Where to Go Next
Related on VanPlex: the Atlanta multiplex guide overview, the California multiplex guide and multiplex zoning in other countries.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ATL Zoning 2.0?
Has Atlanta adopted its new zoning ordinance?
When will the Atlanta zoning rewrite be voted on?
What is ordinance 26-O-1508?
Will my property be rezoned under ATL Zoning 2.0?
What will R-4 be called in the new Atlanta zoning code?
Does the new Atlanta zoning code allow duplexes in single-family neighborhoods?
How many ADUs would the ATL Zoning 2.0 draft allow per lot?
Does the ATL Zoning 2.0 draft remove parking minimums?
Will historic districts change under the new Atlanta zoning code?
Will NPUs change under the new Atlanta zoning code?
How long is the ATL Zoning 2.0 draft ordinance?
When would the new Atlanta zoning code take effect if adopted?
Official sources (checked October 2026)
Planning a multiplex in Atlanta?
VanPlex builds multiplexes and models lots in British Columbia, Canada. We do not build, lend, or broker in Georgia yet. Join the Atlanta list and we will tell you when that changes.