Dallas Moves to Rewrite Zoning Codes to Boost Multi-Family Housing

Dallas city planners prepare to unveil a major overhaul of local zoning rules, seeking to increase the supply of multi-family and mixed-use housing across the city. The proposal responds to a persistent gap between regional growth and local development patterns.

The Dallas-Fort Worth area currently stands as the fastest-growing region in the United States. Officials note that the metroplex is expected to surpass Chicago in population soon. Despite this momentum, the city of Dallas is not retaining a proportional share of that growth. The new plan aims to correct this by expanding where multi-unit housing and mixed-use developments are permitted.

City planners described the current zoning framework as outdated. The reform seeks to modernize regulations while balancing preservation with development. The proposal also aligns with a new state law allowing smaller homes on smaller lots. This adjustment is intended to encourage a wider range of housing options for residents.

Council members have debated the scope of these changes during Economic Development Committee meetings. Councilman Chad West argued that the city must address a housing affordability crisis to remain an economic leader. "We are in a housing affordability crisis," West said. "If we want to be an economic leader in this country, we've got to provide housing for our workforce both for sale and for rent, it's at our doorstep, people will keep moving here, we have to make sure our zoning follows modern trends. That doesn't mean mow down single-family neighborhoods. We've got a lot of great single-family neighborhoods in my district. But it does mean considering what families in the next 5, 10, 20, 30 years are going to be looking for."

Economic Development Committee Chair Jesse Moreno emphasized the need to protect existing single-family residential areas from excessive density. "We need to ensure we are not building 3.5-story duplex next to single family," Moreno said. "When we start allowing one duplex and another then triplex and quadplex and dissolve character of neighborhood, want planners to visit neighborhood and not just rely on photos from developer."

The plan follows the approval of the ForwardDallas long-range land-use guide in 2024. That document served as a strategic guide but did not change zoning laws. The new proposal will directly alter those regulations. The city will present the plan to the City Plan Commission on Thursday. The document will also be released online for public review.

Public feedback sessions will begin in December through a series of open houses. Planners anticipate that the city council will adopt the final zoning changes in August 2027.