Planning & Development

August 2025 Unified Development Chapter can be downloaded in one large Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) file, including all zoning maps, or individual sections of the text and maps can be downloaded as individual .pdfs below.

The Unified Development Chapter (UDC) is the official body of rules and regulations to guide land use and development in the City of Duluth.  

• Additional information about Wetlands & Floodplains. 
• Official Zoning Maps The official zoning maps for the city are in electronic format, and can be viewed in Community Planning’s interactive online map. 

Article 1: General Provisions 

(Sections 50-1 to 50-12)   

Article 2: Zone Districts  

(Sections 50-13 to 50-18) Includes information on zone district minimum requirements (such as lot area and frontage), flood plains and flood hazard management, shoreland, stormwater, and overlay districts (natural resources, historic, airport, skyline, and higher education).

Article 3: Permitted Uses 

(Sections 50-19 to 50-20) Includes a table of uses to determine where certain land uses are allowed, whether the use is allowed without special approvals (permitted use), after having obtained a Special Use Permit (special use), after having obtained an Interim Use Permit (interim use), or if the use is a use only allowed as an accessory to a principal use (accessory use) or temporary use.  Use specific standards are given after the use table to describe special conditions apply to certain uses.

Amending Ordinances

Below are the ordinances passed by City Council since the last UDC update:

• 25-018 Screening of Commercial Containers (enacted 7/28/2025)
• 25-020 Daycare Facilities and Definitions (enacted 8/11/2025)

Regulating and Concept Plans

Sites zoned Residential-Planned (R-P) and Mixed Use-Planned (MU-P) are required to have a regulating plan to govern land uses and development of their specific area.  Below are recent regulating plans.