CityOfBoston Official An official website of the City of Boston

This is the website for the City of Boston’s new Planning Department, which launched on July 1. The staff and many responsibilities of the Boston Planning & Development Agency have moved to the Planning Department of the City of Boston including planning & zoning, urban design, development review, and real estate divisions. Please excuse any misalignment you may see on our site as we transition to the City. Learn more

2024 Net Zero Carbon Zoning Initiative

rendering of the Boston University Data Sciences Center

Overview

The City of Boston aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Buildings account for nearly 71% of our community’s carbon emissions and new buildings represent the greatest opportunity for emissions reductions. The Zoning Reform Team, alongside the City’s Environment Department, is excited to release the Final NZC Draft for Article 37 to support and advance the City’s decarbonization goals.

These amendments build upon and refine the 2022 effort, to better reflect updated state building codes and city ordinances, including the specialized stretch energy code and Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO), respectively.

Upcoming Events

Tentative Zero Net Carbon Zoning Timeline graphic

Previous Virtual Office Hours

Previous Public Meetings

Net Zero Carbon Final Draft Meeting | Wednesday. June 5, 2024 | 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM | Presentation | Recording

Net Zero Carbon Zoning Proposal | Monday, April 29, 2024 | Presentation | Recording | Consultant's Cost Analysis

Zoning Proposals

Resources