The Use Group is NYC zoning's answer to the question "what can I actually do in this building?". Every conceivable activity — a bodega, a hospital, a steel mill, a museum, an apartment — falls into one of ten Use Groups (I through X).
Then for each zoning district (R6A, C4-2, M1-1, etc.), the code lists which Use Groups are as-of-right (no permit needed), which need a special permit, and which are flat-out forbidden.
That's the whole system. Letter (R/C/M) + Use Group + permission level = your answer.
Before vs. after City of Yes (Dec 2024)
For 60+ years (1961 → 2024), there were 18 Use Groups numbered 1 through 18. The numbering was historical — UG 6 was retail, UG 9 was offices, UG 16 was heavy automotive, and so on. Tradition got messy: duplicate categories, vestigial entries, and rules that didn't match modern uses.
City of Yes Economic Opportunity (June 2024) and Housing Opportunity (Dec 2024) consolidated everything into 10 Roman-numeral Use Groups (I-X). Same regulatory function, cleaner taxonomy. We use Roman numerals exclusively going forward; legacy integer references redirect.
The 10 Use Groups, with NYC anchors
| UG | Name | What's in it | NYC anchor | |----|------|--------------|------------| | I | Agriculture & Open Uses | Farms, cemeteries, vehicle-storage lots, public parks | Greenwood Cemetery | | II | Residences | All housing — single-family, multi-family, mixed-income | The Dakota | | III | Community Facilities | Schools, libraries, hospitals, religious institutions, daycares | Brooklyn Public Library | | IV | Public Service & Administrative | Govt offices, post offices, transit hubs | Penn Station | | V | Transient Accommodations | Hotels, hostels, dormitories, SROs | Hotel Pennsylvania | | VI | Retail & Services | Bodegas, coffee shops, dry cleaners, restaurants, dentists, hair salons | Your corner deli | | VII | Offices & Laboratories | Law firms, accounting, doctors' offices (private), research labs | Empire State Bldg offices | | VIII | Recreation, Entertainment, Assembly | Theaters, gyms, dance halls, museums | Madison Square Garden | | IX | Storage | Self-storage facilities, vehicle service stations, parking lots | Manhattan Mini-Storage | | X | Production | Light industrial, food prep, fabrication, machine shops, breweries | Brooklyn Navy Yard tenants |
The permission matrix is the rulebook
The zoning code is largely a matrix:
R3 R6A C1-9 C6-4 M1-1
UG II (Residence) AOR AOR AOR AOR --
UG III (Comm Fac) AOR AOR AOR AOR AOR
UG VI (Retail) -- -- AOR AOR AOR
UG VII (Office) -- -- AOR AOR AOR
UG X (Production) -- -- -- -- AOR
- AOR = as-of-right (no permit needed; build it tomorrow)
- SP = special permit required (BSA or CPC findings)
- -- = not permitted
Rule of thumb: as you go from low-density R to high-density C to M, more Use Groups become allowed. Residential districts allow II and III (homes + community uses). Commercial districts add retail/office. Manufacturing districts add storage and production.
Why this matters in practice
If you want to open a coffee shop: that's Use Group VI. Looking at the matrix, you need a C1+ district or a C/M-flavor mixed-use. You can't open a coffee shop in an R3 single-family zone — not as-of-right, maybe not at all.
If you want to convert a warehouse to apartments (very common post-CoY): your warehouse is in UG IX or X currently, and you want to put UG II there. Some M-A districts (the new mixed-use Manufacturing codes — M1-1A through M3-2A) allow this AS-OF-RIGHT. Others require a rezoning to MX or to an M-A variant.
If you want to add a small theater to your retail strip: UG VIII. Sometimes AOR, sometimes special-permit. Cinema vs live theater matters; capacity matters; alcohol licensing intersects (it's a parallel regulator).
The post-CoY mixed-use additions
City of Yes added two important wrinkles:
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M-A districts (M1-1A, M1-2A, M1-3A, M1-4A, M2-1A, M2-2A, M3-2A) that explicitly allow residential (UG II) alongside light manufacturing (UG X). This is how NYC starts re-introducing "live above the work" in IBZ areas without needing dozens of spot rezonings.
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Universal Affordability Preference (UAP) lets developers exceed standard FAR limits in exchange for permanently affordable housing — applies citywide outside MIH areas, opens up new sites for UG II.
Try the permission matrix
Use the widget below to see what's allowed in any district.