Zoning, Overlays, and Tiers: UDO Map Layers That Shape What Can Be Built

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When you’re trying to understand a property near you, don’t stop at “zoning.”

1. Zoning layer : what district is it?
2. Overlay layer(s) : is there -P, -TO, watershed, historic, airport, MTC, etc.?
3. Tier layer : Rural/Suburban/Urban/Compact/Downtown (functions as an overlay).

That combination tells you what to look up next in the UDO: the Use Table, intensity standards, and whatever special overlay standards apply.

If you’ve ever looked up a property and thought, “Okay, it’s zoned something … but why are there extra letters and labels?” - you’ve found the part of Durham’s Unified Development Ordinance that trips up almost everyone:

Most properties aren’t governed by one rule. They’re governed by layers.

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