T District Map Amendments

Overview 

Planning staff completed major updates to the Traditional Neighborhood Districts in 2025. City Council then directed staff to apply those zoning districts across the city. Amending the Zoning Map to add more T Districts will address the need for comprehensive, consistent economic and land use flexibility on properties located along some of Saint Paul’s primary commercial and mixed-use transit corridors. Easing and diversifying the development of new housing, creation of new businesses, and adaptive reuse opportunities along transit corridors will contribute to the City’s goals for vibrant, walkable neighborhoods and increased access to rapid transit.  Six major corridors in Saint Paul will receive T District zoning in 2026. 

Background  

Traditional Neighborhood (T) Districts are used throughout Saint Paul, especially along transit corridors and at major intersections, and for individual projects. T Districts:  

• Encourage compact, mixed-use development  
• Improve walkability at nodes and along corridors  
• Permit dense development to support transit ridership  
• Allow for more flexible uses for existing buildings than typical business zoning 

T Districts were first adopted in 2004 to create more opportunities for the kind of mixed-use that was common as the city originally developed, which is the reason for the name “Traditional.” They have since become a popular choice for rezonings due to their flexibility and pedestrian-focused design standards. They were amended in 2011, and further amended in 2025 to provide additional incentives for affordable housing, improve design, and bring greater predictability to the development process. Upon adopting those amendments, the City Council initiated the next phase of work to evaluate expanded use of T Districts along transit corridors within the city 

Study Area  

Map amendments will take place along corridors in Saint Paul that have recently received or will soon receive BRT. Active BRT routes in Saint Paul today include the A Line, B Line, and Gold Line, much of which has already been studied for rezoning. BRT routes benefit from higher-quality, more frequent transit service and infrastructure upgrades. Adding more T District zoning along the next set of BRT corridors will link improved transit with economic development and new housing. Together, these factors contribute to neighborhood vitality, walkability, and opportunity. These are key goals in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan.

The future transit lines encompassed by the project corridors include the H Line (Maryland Ave and White Bear Ave), G Line (Rice St and Robert St), Bronze Line (White Bear Ave), and the proposed J Line (on West 7th.). The Selby Ave portion of the B Line is also included in this study despite the B Line having already entered service. Timing for the Selby Ave corridor was coordinated to allow for the Rondo Small Area Plan to be completed.

The corridors pictured are general study areas; not every parcel along every corridor will be rezoned and some locations incidental to a corridor are not shown on the map. 

Timeline  

The table below shows a general timeline and links to relevant information. Specific dates will be added as they are confirmed and are subject to change.  

✅ = Complete

Community Engagement  

As of April 2026, community engagement plans are being developed and will be coordinated with relevant district councils, and other organizations, as appropriate. An updated strategy will be posted on this page.