Reference Pages
A guide to Philadelphia's building-relevant boards, commissions, and departments — who they are, what they control, and how they work. Includes the Land Bank, ZBA, PCPC, PHC, City Council, and more — each with its full current roster.
Plain-language definitions of the zoning, land disposition, historic preservation, and politics terms that come up most in BPN's coverage. Filterable by topic. The essential vocabulary for reading Philadelphia development coverage.
A plain-language guide to the zoning categories you'll encounter most in development coverage — RSA-5, RM-1, CMX-2 through CMX-5, IRMX, and the industrial family. Includes the intensity spectrum chart, stats on height and FAR limits, and an explainer on overlays.
Every base zoning district in the Philadelphia code, organized by family — RSA, RSD, RTA, RMX, CA, ICMX, I-P, and all SP districts. Accordion entries with dimensional stats. For when you need to look up a district that doesn't appear often in coverage.