This polygon layer contains the zoning overlay districts in the City of Cambridge that set out additional or alternative zoning regulations to an area's base zoning restrictions. Overlay districts typically govern aesthetic and physical features, rather than restricting use.Explore all our data on the Cambridge GIS Data Dictionary.Attributes NameType DetailsDescription OVERLAP type: Stringwidth: 4precision: 0 A "Y" in this field indicates a separate polygon that represents an area of overlap between overlay districts.

OrdNum type: Stringwidth: 12precision: 0 Ordinance number

Type type: Stringwidth: 15precision: 0 Type of overlay district (i.e., Institutional or Other)

Label type: Stringwidth: 20precision: 0 Used for mapping

Name type: Stringwidth: 50precision: 0 Overlay district name

EditDate type: Stringwidth: 4precision: 0

Article type: Stringwidth: 50precision: 0

Kitchener street index with zoning map.PDF document updates daily. The date above is the date the document link was created or last updated. Check the date in the pdf for the date it was created.

This dataset is OBSOLETE as of 12/3/2024 and will be removed from ArcGIS Online on 12/3/2025.An updated version of this dataset is available at Land Use FY2024.This data set derives from several sources, and is updated annually with data current through July 1 of the reported year. The primary source is a data dump from the VISION assessing data system, which provided data up to date as of January 1, 2012, and is supplemented by information from subsequent building permits and Development Logs. (Use codes provided by this system combine aspects of land use, tax status, and condominium status. In an effort to clarify land use type the data has been cleaned and subdivided to break the original use code into several different fields.) The data set has further been supplemented and updated with development information provided by building permits issued by the Inspectional Services Department and from data found in the Development Log publication. Information from these sources is added to the data set periodically. Land use status is up to date as of the Last Modified date.Differences From “Official” Parcel LayerThe Cambridge GIS system maintains a separate layer of land parcels reflecting up to date subdivision and ownership. The parcel data associated with the Land Use Data set differs from the “official” parcel layer in a number of cases. For that reason this separate parcel layer is provided to work with land use data in a GIS environment. See the Assessing Department’s Parcel layer for the most up-to-date land parcel boundaries.Table of Land Use CodesThe following table lists all land use code found in the data layer:Land Use CodeLand Use DescriptionCategory0101MXD SNGL-FAM-REMixed Use Residential0104MXD TWO-FAM-RESMixed Use Residential0105MXD THREE-FM-REMixed Use Residential0111MXD 4-8-UNIT-APMixed Use Residential0112MXD >8-UNIT-APTMixed Use Residential0121MXD BOARDING-HSMixed Use Residential013MULTIUSE-RESMixed Use Residential031MULTIUSE-COMMixed Use Commercial0340MXD GEN-OFFICEMixed Use Commercial041MULTIUSE-INDMixed Use Industrial0942Higher Ed and Comm MixedMixed Use Education101SNGL-FAM-RESResidential1014SINGLE FAM W/AUResidential104TWO-FAM-RESResidential105THREE-FM-RESResidential106RES-LAND-IMPTransportation1067RES-COV-PKGTransportation1114-8-UNIT-APTResidential112>8-UNIT-APTResidential113ASSISTED-LIVAssisted Living/Boarding House121BOARDING-HSEAssisted Living/Boarding House130RES-DEV-LANDVacant Residential131RES-PDV-LANDVacant Residential132RES-UDV-LANDVacant Residential1322RES-UDV-PARK (OS) LNVacant Residential140CHILD-CARECommercial300HOTELCommercial302INN-RESORTCommercial304NURSING-HOMEHealth316WAREHOUSECommercial323SH-CNTR/MALLCommercial324SUPERMARKETCommercial325RETAIL-STORECommercial326EATING-ESTBLCommercial327RETAIL-CONDOCommercial330AUTO-SALESCommercial331AUTO-SUPPLYCommercial332AUTO-REPAIRCommercial334GAS-STATIONCommercialLand Use CodeLand Use DescriptionCategory335CAR-WASHCommercial336PARKING-GARTransportation337PARKING-LOTTransportation340GEN-OFFICEOffice341BANKCommercial342MEDICAL-OFFCHealth343OFFICE-CONDOOffice345RETAIL-OFFICOffice346INV-OFFICEOffice353FRAT-ORGANIZCommercial362THEATRECommercial370BOWLING-ALLYCommercial375TENNIS-CLUBCommercial390COM-DEV-LANDVacant Commercial391COM-PDV-LANDVacant Commercial392COM-UDV-LANDVacant Commercial3922CRMCL REC LNDVacant Commercial400MANUFACTURNGIndustrial401WAREHOUSEIndustrial404RES-&-DEV-FCOffice/R&D406HIGH-TECHOffice/R&D407CLEAN-MANUFIndustrial409INDUST-CONDOIndustrial413RESRCH IND CNDIndustrial422ELEC GEN PLANTUtility424PUB UTIL REGUtility428GAS-CONTROLUtility430TELE-EXCH-STAUtility440IND-DEV-LANDVacant Industrial442IND-UDV-LANDVacant Industrial920ParklandsPublic Open Space930Government OperationsGovernment Operations934Public SchoolsEducation940Private Pre & Elem SchoolEducation941Private Secondary SchoolEducation942Private CollegeHigher Education9421Private College Res UnitsEducation Residential943Other Educ & Research OrgHigher EducationLand Use CodeLand Use DescriptionCategory953CemeteriesCemetery955Hospitals & Medical OfficHealth956MuseumsHigher Education957Charitable ServicesCharitable/Religious960ReligiousCharitable/Religious971Water UtilityUtility972Road Right of WayTransportation975MBTA/RailroadTransportation9751MBTA/RailroadTransportation995Private Open SpacePrivately-Owned Open SpaceExplore all our data on the Cambridge GIS Data Dictionary.Attributes NameType DetailsDescription ML type: Stringwidth: 16precision: 0 Map-Lot: This a unique parcel identifier found in the deed and used by the Assessing data system. In a few cases, where parcels have been subdivided subsequent to January 1, 2012, a placeholder Map-Lot number is assigned that differs from that used elsewhere.

MAP type: Stringwidth: 5precision: 0 This Map portion of the unique parcel identifier found in the deed and used by the Assessing data system. In a few cases, where parcels have been subdivided subsequent to January 1, 2012, a placeholder Map-Lot number is assigned that differs from that used elsewhere.

LOT type: Stringwidth: 5precision: 0 This is the Lot portion of the unique parcel identifier found in the deed and used by the Assessing data system. In a few cases, where parcels have been subdivided subsequent to January 1, 2012, a placeholder Map-Lot number is assigned that differs from that used elsewhere.

Location type: Stringwidth: 254precision: 0 In the great majority of cases this is the street address of the parcel as it is recorded in the Registry of Deed record. In instances where edits were made to the base parcel layer the best address available at the time is employed.

LandArea type: Doublewidth: 8precision: 15

LUCode type: Stringwidth: 254precision: 0 The four digit text string in this field indicates the primary usage of a parcel. While the codes are based on the standard Massachusetts assessing land use classification system, they differ in a number of cases; the coding system used here is unique to this data set. Note that other minor uses may occur on a property and, in some cases, tenants may introduce additional uses not reflected here (eg, office space used as a medical office, home based businesses).

LUDesc type: Stringwidth: 254precision: 0 The short description gives more detail about the specific use indicated by the Land Use Code. Most descriptions are taken from the standard Massachusetts assessing land use classification system.

Category type: Stringwidth: 254precision: 0 This broader grouping of land uses can be used to map land use data. You can find the land use data mapped at: https://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/factsandmaps/mapgalleries/othermaps

ExistUnits type: Doublewidth: 8precision: 15 This value indicates the number of existing residential units as of July 1 of the reported year. A residential unit may be a house, an apartment, a mobile home, a group of rooms or a single room that is occupied (or, if vacant, intended for occupancy) as separate living quarters. This includes units found in apartment style graduate student housing residences and rooms in assisted living facilities and boarding houses are treated as also housing units. The unit count does not include college or graduate student dormitories, nursing home rooms, group homes, or other group quarters living arrangements.

MixedUseTy type: Stringwidth: 254precision: 0 Two flags are used for this field. “Groundfloor” indicates that a commercial use is found on the ground floor of the primary building, and upper floors are used for residential purposes. “Mixed” indicates that two or more uses are found throughout the structure or multiple structures on the parcel, one of which is residential.

GQLodgingH type: Stringwidth: 254precision: 0 A value of “Yes” indicates that the primary use of the property is as a group quarters living arrangement. Group quarters are a place where people live or stay, in a group living arrangement, that is owned or managed by an entity or organization providing housing and/or services for the residents. Group quarters include such places as college residence halls, residential treatment centers, skilled nursing facilities, group homes, military barracks, correctional facilities, and workers’ dormitories.

Most university dormitories are included under the broader higher education land use code, as most dormitories are included in the larger parcels comprising the bulk of higher education campuses.

GradStuden type: Stringwidth: 254precision: 0 A value of “Yes” indicates the parcel is used to house graduate students in apartment style units. Graduate student dormitories are treated as a higher education land use.

CondoFlag type: Stringwidth: 254precision: 0 “Yes” indicates that the parcel is owned as a condominium. Condo properties can include one or more uses, including residential, commercial, and parking. The great majority of such properties in Cambridge are residential only.

TaxStatus type: Stringwidth: 254precision: 0 A value indicates that the parcel is not subject to local property taxes. The following general rules are employed to assign properties to subcategories, though special situations exist in a number of cases.

o Authority: Properties owned the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority and Cambridge Housing Authority. o City: Properties owned by the City of Cambridge or cemetery land owned by the Town of Belmont. o Educ: Includes properties used for education purposes, ranging from pre-schools to university research facilities. (More detail about the level of education can be found using the Land Use Code.) o Federal: Properties owned by the federal government, including the Post Office. Certain properties with assessing data indicating Cambridge Redevelopment Authority ownership are in fact owned by the federal government as part of the Volpe Transportation Research Center and are so treated here. o Other: Nontaxable properties owned by a nonprofit organization and not

High resolution land cover dataset for City of Boston, MA. Seven land cover classes were mapped: (1) tree canopy, (2) grass/shrub, (3) bare earth, (4) water, (5) buildings, (6) roads, and (7) other paved surfaces. The primary sources used to derive this land cover layer were 2013 LiDAR data, 2014 Orthoimagery, and 2016 NAIP imagery. Ancillary data sources included GIS data provided by City of Boston, MA or created by the UVM Spatial Analysis Laboratory. Object-based image analysis techniques (OBIA) were employed to extract land cover information using the best available remotely sensed and vector GIS datasets. OBIA systems work by grouping pixels into meaningful objects based on their spectral and spatial properties, while taking into account boundaries imposed by existing vector datasets. Within the OBIA environment a rule-based expert system was designed to effectively mimic the process of manual image analysis by incorporating the elements of image interpretation (color/tone, texture, pattern, location, size, and shape) into the classification process. A series of morphological procedures were employed to insure that the end product is both accurate and cartographically pleasing. Following the automated OBIA mapping a detailed manual review of the dataset was carried out at a scale of 1:2500 and all observable errors were corrected.

High resolution land cover dataset for City of Boston, MA. Seven land cover classes were mapped: (1) tree canopy, (2) grass/shrub, (3) bare earth, (4) water, (5) buildings, (6) roads, and (7) other paved surfaces. The primary sources used to derive this land cover layer were 2013 LiDAR data, 2014 Orthoimagery, and 2016 NAIP imagery. Ancillary data sources included GIS data provided by City of Boston, MA or created by the UVM Spatial Analysis Laboratory. Object-based image analysis techniques (OBIA) were employed to extract land cover information using the best available remotely sensed and vector GIS datasets. OBIA systems work by grouping pixels into meaningful objects based on their spectral and spatial properties, while taking into account boundaries imposed by existing vector datasets. Within the OBIA environment a rule-based expert system was designed to effectively mimic the process of manual image analysis by incorporating the elements of image interpretation (color/tone, texture, pattern, location, size, and shape) into the classification process. A series of morphological procedures were employed to insure that the end product is both accurate and cartographically pleasing. Following the automated OBIA mapping a detailed manual review of the dataset was carried out at a scale of 1:2500 and all observable errors were corrected.

Credits: University of Vermont Spatial Analysis Laboratory in collaboration with the City of Boston, Trust for Public Lands, and City of Cambridge.