Week 2: Zoning Codes & What You Can Build

If Week 1 of the Incremental Development Alliance’s Small Developer Bootcamp was about understanding the business of small-scale development, Week 2 was about understanding the rules of the game. And in cities like Gary, where zoning codes were written for a very different era, those rules can feel like a maze. But by the end of the week, zoning began to look less like a maze and more like a puzzle, one that can be decoded, navigated, and even reshaped to support neighborhood‑scale development in cities like Gary.

To help participants navigate that maze, they spent two (2) days walking through a zoning worksheet designed to teach one core skill: how to read zoning like a developer. Participants weren’t just interpreting zoning, they were identifying opportunities hidden inside the code, spotting barriers that need reform, and learning how to design projects that fit (or strategically challenge) the rules. One example truly brought this issue to light:

According to the Zoning Code for the City of Gary, on an EXTREMELY LARGE 8,384 sq.ft. reversed corner lot in a R2 Single-Family Residential zoned block, the only type of home that can be built, by right, approximates the size of a single-wide mobile home, which typically measures between 14-18 feet wide and 66-80 feet long!

Zoning Is a Map of What’s Possible

Participants began by grounding themselves in what zoning actually does. It determines what can be built, where it can be built, how big it can be, and how many units are allowed. It governs everything from building height and setbacks to parking requirements and permitted uses. In Gary, these rules often reflect assumptions from a different era: large minimum lot sizes, suburban setbacks, and single‑use districts that don’t match the city’s historic walkable neighborhoods. Participants quickly saw how these ill-conceived standards can make infill development difficult, even on lots that seem perfectly suited for small housing types.

How to Read a Zoning Code

The heart of the session was learning how to read zoning codes like a developer. Participants practiced identifying permitted uses, conditional uses, setbacks, height limits, lot coverage, and parking requirements. They learned how to pull these numbers from the code and translate them into a “building envelope," the three‑dimensional space a building is legally allowed to occupy. This exercise helped participants understand the difference between what physically fits on a lot and what the zoning code actually permits. For many, this was the moment when zoning stopped feeling abstract and started to make sense.

Turning Zoning Into a Building

The heart of the workshop was the building envelope exercise, a step-by-step method for translating zoning rules into a physical building footprint. Once participants understood the rules, they learned how to apply them to real parcels. Using the building envelope method, they practiced subtracting setbacks, applying height limits, and testing how parking requirements affect the size and shape of a project. This process revealed how zoning can shrink a project’s potential, sometimes dramatically. A lot that looks large enough for a duplex might only allow a single‑family home once setbacks and parking are accounted for. Conversely, some zoning districts in Gary quietly allow more density than people assume, if you know how to read the code.

Why Gary’s Zoning Code Holds Back Infill

Throughout the session, participants discussed how Gary’s zoning code often hinders the kind of incremental, small‑scale development the city needs. Many neighborhoods are dominated by single‑family zoning, even though their historic fabric includes duplexes, triplexes, corner stores, and small apartment buildings. Parking requirements can inflate costs and reduce buildable area. Setbacks designed for suburban subdivisions don’t fit the city’s traditional block patterns, and because the code hasn’t been corrected, many vacant lots are technically “nonconforming,” making them harder to build on without variances.

Zoning Isn’t the Final Word—It’s the Starting Point

Instead of discouraging participants, these challenges sparked strategic thinking. Participants learned how to identify parcels where zoning already allows more flexibility, how to use variances or special‑use permits when necessary, and how to build relationships with planning staff who can clarify interpretations or flag potential issues early. They also discussed how small developers can advocate for zoning reform, whether by supporting ADU legalization, pushing for reduced parking requirements, or encouraging the city to adopt a small‑lot infill ordinance similar to Detroit’s.

At the end of Week 2, participants walked away with a new mindset. Zoning wasn’t something to fear; it was something to understand, navigate, and eventually help improve. They gained the confidence to look at a parcel and determine what’s possible today, what might be possible with a variance, and what could be possible with future reforms. In a city like Gary, where so much of the revitalization will come from small, steady, community‑driven projects, this knowledge is essential. Week 2 gave participants the tools to see opportunities where others see obstacles, and to begin shaping the built environment one lot at a time.

Participants are now equipped with the foundational skill every small developer needs: The ability to look at a lot and understand what’s possible with the right reforms.

What’s Next?

Week 3 will take everything learned about zoning and apply it to:

• Site planning

• Building types

• Financial feasibility

• Real-world case studies

• How to move from paper to permits

This training is made possible by a grant from the Legacy Foundation's John S. and James L. Knight Donor Advised Fund.