What is the Neighborhood Infill Overlay?

The Neighborhood Infill Overlay was implemented in 2021 as a way to ease zoning barriers to new housing development in existing neighborhoods surrounding downtown. Since that time, there has been interest in expanding the boundaries to include more neighborhoods. In 2026, the Tulsa City Council initiated the process to extend the boundaries in districts 1 and 3, and make some modifications to the overlay regulations.

The Neighborhood Infill Overlay (NIO) is intended to make it easier to build the kinds of neighborhood-scale residential buildings that have been prohibited by zoning regulations since roughly the 1950s, including duplexes, townhomes, triplexes, quadplexes, garage apartments, backyard cottages, cottage courts, and small apartment buildings.

These housing types are commonly referred to as “middle housing” because they are similar in size to detached homes but contain more than one unit. They have typically not been built since the 1950s due to increasingly restrictive zoning regulations. Prior to such zoning regulations, this type of housing was extremely common in Tulsa’s neighborhoods. Such building types can fit households of varying sizes and income levels, and they provide for a more efficient use of residential land.

The City of Tulsa is not taking anyone’s property; it wants to reduce rules so property owners have more freedom to build new housing more easily.

If this overlay (SA-8) is approved, the existing Neighborhood Infill Overlay (NIO) will include more neighborhoods than it does now. The NIO was created in 2021 and covers several of the neighborhoods closest to downtown.

Approval would mean less red tape, fewer delays, and lower costs for property owners who want to build the housing types allowed in the overlay.

In addition to the proposed boundary extension, there are some proposed adjustments to the existing NIO rules. View the proposed amendments here.

Community Meetings

There were two community meetings hosted by City Councilors to gather resident feedback and answer questions.

• Meeting 1: Monday, March 23, 2026, 6:30 p.m. at Rudisill Library, 1520 N. Hartford Ave.
  District 1 City Councilor Vanessa Hall-Harper was present, along with Planning Office staff.

• Meeting 2: NEW LOCATION: Tuesday, March 31, 2026, 5:30 p.m. at Owen Elementary School, 1132 N. Vandalia Ave.
  District 3 City Councilor Jackie Dutton was present, along with Planning Office staff.

Planning Commission Hearing

After the community meetings, the Planning Commission will meet to consider the case (SA-8):

• May 6, 2026 at 1 p.m. in the City Council Chamber in Tulsa City Hall, 175 E. 2nd St.

Anyone interested in the case may attend the meeting and voice their opinions. You may also watch on Cox channel 24 or at TGOVonline.org, or send written comments to planning@cityoftulsa.org by 9 a.m. on the day of the planning commission hearing.

After the Planning Commission makes its recommendation, the case will be heard by the City Council. It typically takes a few weeks to appear on a City Council agenda.

Questions

If you have any questions or comments about the proposed boundary extension (SA-8) or zoning code changes (ZCA-38), you may email the Tulsa Planning Office at planning@cityoftulsa.org, call 918-596-7526, or send written comments to: Tulsa Planning Office, 175 E. 2nd St., 4th Floor, Tulsa, OK 74103. Please reference SA-8 for the overlay boundary changes, or ZCA-38 for the zoning code amendments.

Commonly Asked Questions