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City of St. Louis
ZOning UPgrade (ZOUP)
A Modern Code to Meet the Moment
Zoning Section + Planning and Urban Design Agency of St. Louis
About The ZOUP
In 2025, the Planning Commission adopted a holistic update to the Strategic Land Use Plan (SLUP) after extensive community engagement. Building upon that momentum, the zoning upgrade will modernize how land use is regulated in the City, improving clarity, consistency, and responsiveness to community priorities. The City has engaged a team led by Code Studio, a planning firm specializing in zoning, to guide the process and embed best practices from across the country into St. Louis’s new code.
Project Goals
Drive Succesful Implementation
Achieve the visions and goals of ongoing or adopted planning efforts like the SLUP and neighborhood plans.
Equity &
Fairness
To establish rules and processes that are easily understandable and approachable by everyone in our community, not just the most savvy or experienced.
High Quality
Built Form
To improve the built environment, create walkable neighborhoods and support transit use by providing new and improved standards that focus on the urban form of private parcels.
Organization & Usability
To modernize and improve the organization and user-friendliness of the code to ensure everyone can navigate and understand it.
Economic
Development
To facilitate development aligned with the community’s vision for land use by removing zoning barriers and streamlining the approval process.
Recovery
& Resilience
To mitigate environmental risks like flooding and urban health island effect and remove barriers to rebuilding after a disaster.
Public Engagement Goals
PREPARATION
ENGAGEMENT
EDUCATION
TRANSPARENCY
COLLABORATION
EMPOWERMENT
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Ensure decision makers have buy-in so the new code and map is grounded in the technical, legal, and practical reality of effective zoning policy.
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Ensure that the city’s boards and commissions are involved to translate observations/challenges into the new code and move toward a system where variances are used sparingly.
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Ensure that all community members can effectively use, interpret, and comply with the new zoning code.
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Ensure diverse voices are substantively involved in the process.
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Provide education that includes what zoning is (and isn’t) and how it works; how we’ve arrived at the zoning policy we have today; and how updated zoning is an important tool in creating positive change.
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Meet and exceed legal/procedural requirements of adoption.
Tools For Outreach
Guided by
Community
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Advisory Committee
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Topical Working Groups
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Conversations with Stakeholders and Surveys
Regular Communication
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Website
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Social Media
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Newsletters
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Press Releases
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News Media
Education &
Workshops
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“Code Connect” Webinars
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Expert Panels
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Public Workshops
Internal Collaboration
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Cross-Departmental City Working Group
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Elected/Appointed Officials
Advisory Committee
The Advisory Committee plays a vital role in the Zoning Code overhaul team. Its responsibilities include providing insights and perspectives on how zoning issues impact the community; supporting the overall approach to the overhaul—including education, engagement, and communication efforts; helping to refine documents and review draft materials; offering feedback on the usability of proposed code updates; and facilitating communication between the City, the Consultant team, and St. Louis residents. The Committee will be established in September following an application period and lottery selection.
Working Groups / Technical Advisory Groups
The ZOUP Users Working Group is a technical and practitioner-focused body convened to ensure that the Zoning Upgrade is clear, usable, consistent, and implementable for those who will rely on it daily. Members serve as expert reviewers, providing practical insights rooted in real-world application.
While this group will provide valuable technical expertise and input, the overall policy intent of the code will be rooted in the Strategic Land Use Plan, neighborhood planning efforts, and broad community engagement.
The Working Group will:
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Review the Diagnostic to understand existing zoning challenges, barriers, and opportunities.
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Provide feedback on the Conceptual Districts to assess whether the proposed districts reflect St. Louis’ desired land-use outcomes, as well as development and policy goals.
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Analyze and provide feedback on the Code Modules with particular attention to clarity, consistency, usability, and implementation.
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Identify conflicts, gaps, and unintended consequences within proposed updates.
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Test the draft code in real-world development scenarios to evaluate functionality, workflows, and alignment with technical practice.
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Assess technical implications related to land use, urban design, infrastructure, legal issues, permitting, and development feasibility.
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Expand understanding and buy-in among stakeholders who will regularly use, interpret, and implement the zoning code.