Thoughtful and effective planning enables a city to grow responsibly while providing the community with a variety of opportunities to live, work, and enjoy an environment. Good planning plays a vital role in shaping the future of Long Beach by providing the perfect balance of new development, community preservation, essential services, and economic growth. This map shows two key layers to planning: zoning and land use. It also includes historic districts and parking impacted areas. This map is used in the Zoning and General Plan web mapping application.Zoning Regulations divide the City into districts within which the location, height and bulk of buildings or structures and the uses of buildings, structures or land are regulated as specified. The municipal code defines zoning in Chapter 21.30. The Long Beach General Plan is a policy document that sets forth the goals, policies, and directions the City will take to achieve the vision of the community. The Land Use layer shown in this map is from the Land Use Element established in 1989.The Parking Impacted Area was developed through an extensive parking survey conducted with the help of a consultant to determine residential areas in which at least 75% of the on-street parking spaces were occupied at night.Historic districts are areas containing groups of older houses that are intact and unaltered. While each building may not be individually worthy of landmark status, collectively they preserve the visual qualities and ambiance of the past. Streetscape features, such as trees or light standards, may contribute to the historic value of the district.For more information, please see the Community Development Department website. Map updated 11/2019.

Zoning ordinances, in conformance with the City's General Plan, regulate land use development within the City of Long Beach. Within each zoning district, the zoning regulations specify the permitted and prohibited uses, as well as the development standards including setbacks, height, parking, and design standards, among others. Data updated to authoritative database as ordinances are approved by the City Council. This layer is updated weekly by script and was last updated 2024-08-17. For more information about zoning, please see the City of Long Beach Planning Bureau website: https://www.longbeach.gov/lbcd/planning/current/zoning/

Special setback line means a setback line, on a lot or several lots, established by separate ordinance adopted by the City Council. The special setback line, which supersedes the normally required setback line, may be greater or less than the setback prescribed in the development standards for the particular land use district in which the lot or lots may be located. Whenever a special setback line is established in accord with the zoning regulations, the setback area shall be considered a required yard area. The special setback line and setback area shall take the place of the otherwise applicable yard requirements for the zone district, except that when the regular setback of the district is greater than a special setback, the regular setback shall supersede the special setback and be controlling.

While Long Beach is less likely than other areas of the State to experience earthquakes, all of California is at higher risk compared to the rest of the country. In an attempt to mitigate potential damages, California passed the Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Zoning Act on December 22, 1972.This pdf map visualizes inferred and known fault lines as well as Alquist-Priolo Special Studies Zones within the City of Long Beach.

This map depicts the City's fire response zones and the Battalion districts.

The City Council designates historic landmarks, historic districts, historic places and historic objects by city ordinance. Historic districts are geographic areas containing groups of older houses that are intact and unaltered. While each building may not be individually worthy of landmark status, collectively they preserve the visual qualities and ambiance of the past. Streetscape features, such as trees or light standards, may contribute to the historic value of the district. For more information about Historic Districts, please visit the City of Long Beach, Development Services website.

Long Beach 2040 Height Standards are used to regulate the overall massing and scale of buildings, allowing reasonable compatibility between different buildings and uses and to ensure an adequate density and intensity of development along City transit corridors. Building heights create harmonious, pedestrian-sensitive visual settings in low-density residential areas, enhancing the livability of a neighborhood. Building Heights are an important factor in construction costs.DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBLE: Community DevelopmentDATA SOURCES: RES-19-0189 (Dec 3rd, 2019)MAINTENANCE: Updated as resolutions are approved by the Long Beach City CouncilCITY WEBSITE: https://www.longbeach.gov/lbcd/planning/advance/general-plan/ RELATED DATA: Long Beach 2040 General PlanUSED FOR: Zoning and Land Use Public Web Application

A neighborhood is generally defined spatially as a specific geographic area and functionally as a set of social networks. Neighborhoods, then, are the spatial units in which face-to-face social interactions occur—the personal settings and situations where residents seek to realize common values, socialize youth, and maintain effective social control.

Please see the California Coastal Commission and the Long Beach Local Coastal Program for more information.Layer: GIS.Planning\GIS.CoastalZoneOwner: CA Coastal Commission

Long Beach 2040 General Plan serves as a comprehensive guide on urban form and land use for the long-term development of the City to meet the needs of the City’s evolving demographics, foster neighborhood enhancement, and plan for diverse open spaces, promote employment and revitalize commercial centers and corridors, and address land use, circulation, housing, conservation, open space, noise and safety. PlaceTypes is a new approach to land use planning that de-emphasizes specific uses and focuses on the form and character of Long Beach’s unique neighborhoods and districts and allows for a wide variety of compatible and complementary uses to create district and “complete” residential neighborhoods, employment centers, open spaces and other areas. Eleven PlaceTypes provide a comprehensive and more flexible way of planning for the future of Long Beach.DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBLE: Community DevelopmentDATA SOURCES: RES-19-0189 (Dec 3rd, 2019)MAINTENANCE: Updated as resolutions are approved by the Long Beach City CouncilREFERENCE: https://www.longbeach.gov/lbcd/planning/advance/general-plan/ RELATED DATA: Long Beach 2040 Height USED FOR: Zoning and Land Use Public Web Application

This polygon layer defines the flood zones for determining whether a property or structure in question lies within a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) as defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). A SFHA is also known as the 100-year floodplain. It is more precisely defined as the floodplain associated with a flood that has a 1-percent-annual chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. Therefore the SFHA is not a flood event that happens once in a hundred years, rather a flood event that has a 1-percent chance of occurring every year.