To promote and encourage a suitable environment for family life where safe streets, wide yards and quiet neighborhoods are of paramount importance.

To avoid, as far as possible, commercial traffic and through traffic of all kinds in residential areas.

To encourage a balanced variety of housing types, sizes and densities, consistent with the character of existing neighborhoods and the provision of adequate open space, sunlight and air.

To provide for a low-density housing environment allowing for both single- and two-family dwellings in single- and two-family districts.

For the R1-WF-10 Waterfront Residence District, to encourage the continuation of water oriented membership and yacht clubs in waterfront residential areas.

For the R1-CH Cluster Residence District, to promote the development of one-family attached or detached dwellings on sites where topographic features, landscape resources, locational characteristics, and acreage suggest clustering of buildings as the most appropriate building type.

For the R1-HIST Historic Residence District, to protect the historic character of existing development and to require that new development alterations and additions be compatible in siting, design, scale and proportion to the area in which it will be located.

For the R-URTH Urban Renewal Townhouse District, to promote the development and construction of one- and two-family attached dwellings within an area designated by the City Council for urban renewal.

For the RMF-0.4 Multifamily Residence District, to provide a medium-density housing environment that promotes the development of one- and two-family dwellings; also, for the conversion of large existing dwellings to two-family use, and encourages the construction of new multifamily dwellings, not to exceed four units, on sites where adequate on-site parking and open space can be provided.

For all RMF Multifamily Residence Districts, to encourage the development of dwelling units suitable for a variety of household sizes at higher densities which will allow for the construction of such housing at a relatively more moderate cost. Such districts are generally intended to be located in convenient proximity to employment, shopping, transportation, and community facilities. Adequate on-site parking and usable open space are required.

For the RMF-SC-4.0 Multifamily Senior Citizen Residence District, to provide low-cost housing opportunities for senior citizens in locations convenient to shopping, transportation and community facilities.

For the H Hospital District, to ensure the development and continuation of hospital and medical related facilities needed to serve the City's health care needs and encourage the development of housing for health care workers and families.

For the DMU Downtown Mixed Use District, to encourage the development of a regional office center in combination with high-density residential uses so as to vitalize the City's center, provide a strengthened tax base, and create new jobs and housing.

For the DMUR Downtown Mixed Use Urban Renewal District, to encourage mixed-use residential and commercial development located in downtown New Rochelle, within an area officially designated by the City Council for urban renewal.

For the ROS Recreation Open Space District, to preserve and enhance major open spaces and recreational areas by protecting the natural amenities they possess and by encouraging only that development which respects and is consistent with those natural amenities.

For the WR Waterfront Related District, to promote the development of water-dependent uses of both recreational and commercial types and limit non-water-dependent uses by special permit. Priority should be given to water related uses.

For the PWD Planned Waterfront Development Districts, to encourage mixed-use water-dependent and water related, possibly including residential and commercial development, to preserve views of the water and smaller harbor area, particularly where the visual quality of the area is an important component to the area's appeal and identity, and limiting the bulk and height to dimensions considered appropriate in different areas and to encourage, whenever possible, public access to and enjoyment of the waterfront.

For the MUFE Mixed Use Family Entertainment District, to encourage the development of a major family entertainment and commercial retail center on the site of the former New Rochelle Mall, which center is designed to create the focal point for commercial redevelopment throughout downtown New Rochelle.

For the NA North Avenue Zone, to encourage mixed-use redevelopment and private investment to revitalize the North Avenue Corridor, recognizing its function as a gateway into the downtown and a neighborhood business corridor serving adjacent residential neighborhoods and the Iona College Campus.

For the NB-H Neighborhood Business-Hospital District, to encourage the development, redevelopment and continuation of retail, personal service, office, medical office and related facilities, and residential uses to serve neighborhood residents, health care workers and families. The zone is also established to be complementary to the nearby hospital facility. To that end, the zone is designed to encourage medical uses that will support and be compatible with the hospital and also encourage greater residential development.

For the C-1M General Commercial Modified District, to provide a general commercial area with adequate buffers and screening for any nearby or adjacent residentially zoned property.

For the NB Neighborhood Business District, to serve the retail, personal service and office uses located in residential neighborhoods throughout the City, including the provision of adequate on-site parking.

For the DB Downtown Business District, to allow the future growth and orderly development of the primary downtown area in the City with a wide variety of retail, office, service business and residential uses.

For the LSR Large Scale Retail District, to encourage the redevelopment and revitalization of the area as a viable commercial district through the development of key parcels for retail outlet and light industrial use.

For the LI Light Industry District, to promote a combination of manufacturing, warehousing, wholesale storage, and other industrial type uses in areas with good highway access and which have already developed an industrial character.

For the I Industry District, to provide appropriate location and development standards for more intensive types of industrial development.

For the NB-2.0 Neighborhood Business 2.0 District, to serve the retail, personal service and office uses located in residential neighborhoods that are close to downtown, but primarily not within the Downtown Overlay Zone, including the provision of adequate on-site parking.

For the LI-H Light Industry Hotel District, to encourage the redevelopment and revitalization by providing light industrial uses, as well as hotels and their accessory uses.

For the SFCH Single-Family Cluster Housing Zone, to permit the grouping of structures in order to plan more usable open space or to preserve open space or historic or scenic features without exceeding overall density or land coverage requirements.

For the INST Institutional Zone, to ensure the comprehensive and planned future growth and orderly development of the major educational institutions in the City.

For the PUD-AH Planned Unit Development Affordable Housing Zone, to provide for affordable housing opportunities for the City's families and senior citizens within a planned and secure environment.

For the PWDE-5 Planned Waterfront Development Extension Zone, to facilitate and support appropriate mixed-use waterfront development by extending inland certain uses which are allowed by special permit under existing planned waterfront development zoning.

For the West Downtown Business Floating Zone WDB-F to bring a critical mass of street level activity into New Rochelle's West Downtown Area in a compact core to help strengthen retail and commercial uses and promote the downtown's continued renewal.

For the SFSC Single-Family Senior Citizen Zone, to facilitate development of homes that are specifically designed to meet the needs of senior citizens who prefer the single-family type home and single-family form of ownership.

(Reserved)[2]

For the WV Water View Zone, to preserve water views currently enjoyed by the public on adjacent rights-of-way or by upland property owners, including winter water views.

For the RMF-SC 4.0 Senior Citizen Zone, to provide for proper multifamily housing of the City's senior citizens.

For the Fifth Avenue Overlay Zone (FA), to improve the function, aesthetics and accessibility of Fifth Avenue, Potter Avenue, Pleasant Avenue, Plain Avenue, and other streets contained within the area bounded to the north by Fifth Avenue, to the east by the City limit line, to the south by the New York Thruway, and to the west by Potter Avenue, so as to phase out nonconforming buildings and uses and to promote attractive commercial and light industrial development which will complement and be compatible with City Park.

For the CPA Central Parking Area Zone, to provide less restrictive parking standards than in other areas in the City, because of the availability of public transportation, the proximity to the Intermodal Transportation Center, the availability of on-street and off-street public parking facilities, and the possibility of multiple trips by foot to various locations within the Central Parking Area.

For the Downtown Density Bonus (DDB) Overlay Zone, to encourage large-scale redevelopment of larger properties and appropriate in-fill development of smaller properties in accordance with existing public policy documents and to provide public benefits and amenities in the downtown area.[3]