Manhattan Floor Area Ratio

Most cities use floor area ratio far as part of their zoning regulations.

Manhattan floor area ratio.

The floor area ratios are set forth by nyc planning in the zoning resolution zoning code. Far is the reason why buildings with the same size lot but in different zoning districts can be drastically different in size. In medium and high density commercial districts plazas pedestrian amenities and by special permit subway improvements can generate an increase in the maximum commercial far. Both new york city and london use far but they measure it in different.

The floor area ratio is the principal bulk regulation controlling the size of buildings. In manhattan we identified the area north of grand central station. Far is the ratio of total building floor area to the area of its zoning lot. Above a base height of 40 to 65 feet or 75 feet if providing a qualifying ground floor the building must set back to a depth of 10 feet on a wide street and 15 feet on a narrow street before rising to a maximum height of 80 feet or 85 feet if providing a qualifying ground floor.

The floor area ratio of a 1 000 square foot building with one story situated on a 4 000 square foot lot would be 0 25x. What does far signify. What is floor area ratio calculation formula. Let s learn the concept of building coverage ratio or floor area ratio to understand how.

R8b contextual districts usually present the same unified blocks of brownstone rowhouses as r5b and r6b districts but the higher floor area ratio far of 4 0 creates a taller building that is commonly found on the narrow side streets of the upper west side and the upper east side in manhattan. One key measure of structural density is the floor area ratio far which is the ratio of total usable floor space to the size of the plot. A two story building on the same lot where each floor was 500 square feet. The floor area ratio far in r7a districts is 4 0.

Floor area ratio the ratio of the total building floor area to the lot area is a common measurement system used to regulated the density of buildings. For example a 10 story building constructed on the entire lot would have a far of 10 as would a 20 story building on half the lot. The mandatoryquality housing bulk regulations encourage new six story apartment buildings. The floor area ratio is the deciding factor in finding out the maximum buildable floor area.

The floor area ratio far for a c4 1 district for example is 1 0 while the far for a c4 7 district is 10 0.