Mixed use zoning is a land use district that allows more than one type of use, usually housing plus shops, offices or restaurants, on the same lot or in the same building. A typical example is apartments over ground floor retail on a main street.
Most US zoning maps still split land into separate residential, commercial and industrial districts. A mixed use zone breaks that pattern on purpose. It puts daily needs within walking distance of where people live, and it lets a single building earn rent from both stores and apartments.
Every city names and writes these districts its own way. You will see MU, MU-1, MX, CMX, NX, MRC and many other codes. The rules that matter come from the local zoning code, so always check the code for the city or county where the property sits.
Mixed use zoning means the code allows two or more kinds of use in one district, instead of keeping them apart. The most common mix is residential with commercial, such as apartments, retail, restaurants and offices.
The idea is an old one. Before modern zoning, most American downtowns were already mixed, with families living over the store. Separate-use zoning took hold in the 20th century, and many cities have since added mixed-use development districts to bring that pattern back along main streets and transit lines.
Planners also use the phrase mixed land use. It describes the result on the ground: a neighborhood where homes, jobs, shopping and services sit close together. Mixed use zoning is one of the main tools cities use to get there.
Vertical mixed use stacks different uses in one building, while horizontal mixed use places them side by side in separate buildings on the same site or block.
Some codes name the building type directly. Austin, Texas, for example, has a vertical mixed use (VMU) overlay along its core transit corridors that allows buildings with commercial space on the ground floor and housing above. Other codes simply allow both forms in the same district and let the owner choose.
Most mixed use districts allow housing, retail, restaurants, offices and personal services, often in the same building. The exact list comes from the district's use table. Common permitted uses include:
Many codes limit the heavier commercial uses. Drive-throughs, gas stations, outdoor storage, car lots and most industrial work are often banned or need a conditional use permit and a public hearing.
Many mixed use districts control what goes on the street level. In Philadelphia's CMX-2 and CMX-2.5 districts, buildings must have a use other than residential or parking along the full ground floor frontage, so the street keeps active storefronts. Apartments are still allowed on the floors above.
Other codes go the other way and allow a building that is all residential or all commercial. Washington, DC's MU zones, for example, allow a building to be entirely residential or a mix of uses. That flexibility is why the use table matters more than the district name.
The same idea shows up under very different names. This table shows real mixed use districts from cities and counties across the US, taken from each jurisdiction's own zoning code or planning department.
| City or county | District code | District name | What it allows (short) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia, PA | CMX-2 | Neighborhood Commercial Mixed-Use | Neighborhood retail and services, with homes on floors above a non-residential ground floor |
| Raleigh, NC | NX- | Neighborhood Mixed Use | Homes, retail, services and commercial uses within walking distance of neighborhoods; 10 acre maximum lot size |
| Nashville and Davidson County, TN | MUL | Mixed Use Limited | A moderate intensity mix of residential, retail and office uses |
| Atlanta, GA | MRC-1 | Mixed Residential Commercial | Low density homes and businesses that serve one neighborhood or a few nearby ones |
| Portland, OR | CM2 | Commercial/Mixed Use 2 | Medium scale mixed use in centers and transit corridors; 45 ft base height, 2.5 to 1 maximum FAR |
| Denver, CO | U-MX-3 | Urban Mixed Use, 3 stories | Pedestrian friendly mixed use buildings up to three stories in urban neighborhoods |
| Montgomery County, MD | CRT | Commercial Residential Town | Commercial and residential uses in town centers; the map label sets FAR and height |
| Washington, DC | MU-4 | Mixed-Use | Moderate density mixed use, with housing, shopping and business |
| Fort Worth, TX | MU-1 | Low Intensity Mixed-Use | A variety of housing types mixed with neighborhood serving commercial and institutional uses |
| Seattle, WA | NC2 | Neighborhood Commercial 2 | A pedestrian-oriented shopping area with a full range of household and personal goods and services; housing is allowed, often in mixed use buildings |
Notice the pattern. Many codes add a number or suffix that tells you the scale. In Denver the "3" in U-MX-3 is the story limit. In Raleigh's mixed use districts, a full code like CX-3-PL means Commercial Mixed Use, three stories maximum, with a Parking Limited frontage. In Montgomery County a label like "CRT 2.0, C 1.0, R 1.5, H 60" spells out the total FAR, the commercial FAR, the residential FAR and the height in feet.
A few places have no zoning districts at all. Houston, the largest US city without zoning, says its city codes do not address land use, which is one reason homes, shops and offices often sit side by side there without any mixed use label.
These are the most common short codes for mixed use districts, and the number or letters after them usually show the intensity.
Never assume one city's MU-1 matches another's. The code name tells you the family; the use table and the dimensional table tell you what you can build.
Yes. Housing is allowed in almost every mixed use district, and it is often the main reason the district exists.
The catch is where the housing can go. Some districts require shops or offices on the ground floor, so homes must be on upper floors. Some cap the share of a building that can be residential. A single family house may or may not be allowed, depending on the code. Living in a mixed use area also means more noise, delivery trucks and evening activity than a typical residential zoning district.
Running a small business from your unit is often easier in a mixed use zone than in a purely residential one. Check the code's rules for a home business or live/work unit before you sign a lease or buy.
The main difference is housing. Commercial zoning is built for businesses and often limits or bans homes, while mixed use zoning expects homes and businesses to share the area.
| Mixed use | Commercial | |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | Allowed, often encouraged | Often limited or not allowed |
| Typical buildings | Apartments over shops, live/work units, townhomes near retail | Stores, offices, strip centers, shopping centers |
| Parking | Often reduced, kept behind or beside buildings | Often surface lots in front |
| Auto uses | Drive-throughs and car lots often limited | Usually allowed in general commercial districts |
| Common codes | MU, MU-1, MX, CMX, NX | C-1, C-2, CG, CN |
Some cities blur the line by allowing apartments in their general commercial zoning districts. Others, like Portland, group them together as "commercial/mixed use" zones. Mixed use also differs from light industrial zoning, which rarely allows housing, though some newer codes create industrial mixed use districts for workshops with live/work units.
Mixed use zoning makes walkable, busy neighborhoods easier to build, but it can bring more traffic, noise and design rules than single use districts.
Look up the property on the city or county zoning map, write down the district code, and then read that district's use table and building standards. You can search for your city's zoning map, then follow the steps in how to find a property on a zoning map.
When you read the code, look for four things: which uses are permitted by right, which need a conditional use permit, any ground floor use rule, and the limits on height, floor area and parking. The FAR calculator turns a floor area ratio into buildable square feet, and the parking ratio calculator shows how many spaces a mix of apartments and retail might need.
If the property is not zoned mixed use but you want to build that way, ask the planning department about a rezoning or a planned development. Many cities rezone main streets and transit corridors to mixed use when they update their plans.
Mixed use zoning is a district that allows more than one kind of use, usually homes plus shops, offices or restaurants, on the same lot or in the same building. Apartments over ground floor retail are the most common example.
MU-1 usually means the first and lowest intensity mixed use district in a city's code, with smaller buildings that sit near homes. The exact rules differ by city, so read the local zoning code.
Yes. Almost every mixed use district allows housing. Some require shops or offices on the ground floor, so apartments must be on upper floors.
Mixed use zoning expects homes and businesses to share an area or building. Commercial zoning is mainly for businesses and often limits or bans housing.
A main street with cafes and stores on the ground floor, apartments above, and offices and townhomes nearby is a common example of mixed land use.
Each page shows the zoning a use usually needs and whether you can put it in other zones.
To see how a specific property is zoned, search for its city or county zoning map.