Interactive map helps Raleigh residents with zoning changes

“We love the area. We love the street appeal. We love downtown,” she said.

The Alcines are also thinking about the future of their neighborhood as the city plans to rezone their property.

Raleigh officials are rewriting the city’s comprehensive code governing land use and replacing it with a Unified Development Code. As part of the effort, about 30 percent of the city’s land will be rezoned.

The Alcines currently live in a zoning district that allows 20 dwelling units per acre. Under the plan, their neighborhood would be limited to 10 units per acre, which is half the density.

“We don't know that it negatively or positively impacts us, but we are doing our research,” Alcine said.

Raleigh interim planning director Ken Bowers says the map also makes it easier for residents to share feedback about the proposal with city officials.

“You can take your mouse and put a virtual pin on the map and attach a comment to that pin,” he said. “Every comment gets logged in a database, and we're following up on every one of them.”

As she studies what rezoning will mean for her family, Alcine says the interactive map is forward-thinking and shows that the city is trying to be transparent.

“We really feel fortunate to live in Raleigh and to be able to have access to information about the future,” she said.