R8 is a residential zoning district governed by ZR 23-22, with residential far (wide street) of 7.2, a maximum building height of 135 feet.
These are the figures the engine applies when it models a lot in R8. Where a rule differs between a narrow and a wide street, both are shown.
| Residential FAR — wide street | 7.2 | ZR 23-22 |
|---|---|---|
| Residential FAR — narrow street | 6.02 | ZR 23-22 |
| Community facility FAR | 6.5 | ZR 23-22 |
| Commercial overlay FAR | 2 | ZR 33-121 |
| City of Yes (UAP) maximum FAR | 7.2 | ZR 27-16 |
| Base minimum — wide street | 60 ft | ZR 23-22 |
|---|---|---|
| Base maximum — wide street | 95 ft | ZR 23-22 |
| Max height — wide street | 135 ft | ZR 23-22 |
| Setback — wide street | 10 ft | ZR 23-22 |
| Base maximum — narrow street | 85 ft | ZR 23-22 |
| Max height — narrow street | 115 ft | ZR 23-22 |
| Setback — narrow street | 15 ft | ZR 23-22 |
| Max height with City of Yes affordability | 175 ft | ZR 23-432 |
| Sky exposure plane begins | 85 ft | ZR 23-432 |
| Front yard | 0 ft | ZR 23-45 |
|---|---|---|
| Side yard | 0 ft | ZR 23-46 |
| Rear yard | 20 ft | ZR 23-47 |
| Lot coverage — interior lot | 80% | |
| Lot coverage — corner lot | 100% | |
| Qualifying ground floor eligible | Yes |
| Dwelling unit factor | 680 sf per unit | ZR 23-52 |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum lot area, practical | 1,700 sf | |
| Parking spaces per dwelling unit | 0.4 | ZR 25-23 |
| MIH base FAR | 6.02 | ZR 27-131 |
| MIH maximum FAR where mapped | 7.2 | ZR 27-131 |
At 7.2 FAR, a 10,000 square foot lot in R8 carries roughly 72,000 square feet of zoning floor area, which at a 680 square foot dwelling unit factor is about 105 units.
That is the ceiling, not the answer. The height envelope, required yards, lot shape, street width, overlays and any special district all cut into it. Running the real lot is the only way to know which constraint binds first.
A section through the R8 envelope, drawn to scale from the figures in the table above. The solid shape is as of right; where the district carries a City of Yes uplift, the dashed outline is what affordable housing adds.
Diagrammatic. It shows the governing heights and the setback on a regular lot, not your lot: the sky exposure plane, lot shape, corner conditions and any overlay all reshape this in practice.
Every area of the city zoned R8, from NYC Planning’s published zoning district layer.
The sentences below are quoted verbatim from the Zoning Resolution text the engine is built against, for the R8 rules we have mirrored and checked by hand. Check us against them.
“For all other types of multiple dwelling residences , the applicable dwelling unit factor shall be 680.”
“In the districts indicated, no front yard requirements shall apply.”
“Single- or two-family detached or zero lot line R6 - R12 2,375 25”
“Single- or two-family detached or zero lot line R6 - R12 2,375 25”
“In R6 through R12 Districts, no rear yard shall be required where such rear lot line coincides with a side lot line of an adjoining zoning lot .”
“a setback with a depth of at least 15 feet shall be provided from any street wall fronting on a narrow street”
“a setback with a depth of at least 10 feet shall be provided from any street wall fronting on a wide street”
“two side yards , each with a minimum width of five feet, shall be provided.”
Use groups permitted in R8 districts:
Underbuilt here means a lot of at least 2,500 square feet, built to less than half its residential floor area, in private hands, with at least 20,000 square feet of unused capacity. From PLUTO 26v2. How we counted.
R8 has a residential far (wide street) of 7.2, set by ZR 23-22. On a 10,000 square foot lot that is about 72,000 square feet of zoning floor area before any bonus, and before the height envelope and yard requirements are applied.
The maximum building height in R8 is 135 feet on a wide street and 115 feet on a narrow street, with a street wall rising to between 60 and 95 feet before a required setback. Height is measured and applied under ZR 23-22.
Yes. Under the Universal Affordability Preference, R8 rises from 7.2 to 7.2 where the additional floor area is permanently affordable housing. That is an as-of-right increase, not a discretionary action.
Where MIH is mapped on a lot in R8, floor area rises from 6.02 to 7.2, a gain of 1.18. MIH applies only where the City has mapped it, so it is a property-by-property question rather than a district-wide one.
Source: NYC Planning zoning districts.