Land Use

GIS File Name

CDD_LandUse

Description

This data set derives from several sources, and is updated annually with data current through July 1 of the reported year. The primary source is a data dump from the VISION assessing data system, which provided data up to date as of January 1, 2012, and is supplemented by information from subsequent building permits and Development Logs. (Use codes provided by this system combine aspects of land use, tax status, and condominium status. In an effort to clarify land use type the data has been cleaned and subdivided to break the original use code into several different fields.) The data set has further been supplemented and updated with development information provided by building permits issued by the Inspectional Services Department and from data found in the Development Log publication. Information from these sources is added to the data set periodically. Land use status is up to date as of the Last Modified date.

Differences From “Official” Parcel Layer

The Cambridge GIS system maintains a separate layer of land parcels reflecting up to date subdivision and ownership. The parcel data associated with the Land Use Data set differs from the “official” parcel layer in a number of cases. For that reason this separate parcel layer is provided to work with land use data in a GIS environment. See the Assessing Department’s Parcel layer for the most up-to-date land parcel boundaries.

Table of Land Use Codes

The following table lists all land use code found in the data layer:

Land Use Code

Land Use Description

Category

0101

MXD SNGL-FAM-RE

Mixed Use Residential

0104

MXD TWO-FAM-RES

Mixed Use Residential

0105

MXD THREE-FM-RE

Mixed Use Residential

0111

MXD 4-8-UNIT-AP

Mixed Use Residential

0112

MXD >8-UNIT-APT

Mixed Use Residential

0121

MXD BOARDING-HS

Mixed Use Residential

013

MULTIUSE-RES

Mixed Use Residential

031

MULTIUSE-COM

Mixed Use Commercial

0340

MXD GEN-OFFICE

Mixed Use Commercial

041

MULTIUSE-IND

Mixed Use Industrial

0942

Higher Ed and Comm Mixed

Mixed Use Education

101

SNGL-FAM-RES

Residential

1014

SINGLE FAM W/AU

Residential

104

TWO-FAM-RES

Residential

105

THREE-FM-RES

Residential

106

RES-LAND-IMP

Transportation

1067

RES-COV-PKG

Transportation

111

4-8-UNIT-APT

Residential

112

>8-UNIT-APT

Residential

113

ASSISTED-LIV

Assisted Living/Boarding House

121

BOARDING-HSE

Assisted Living/Boarding House

130

RES-DEV-LAND

Vacant Residential

131

RES-PDV-LAND

Vacant Residential

132

RES-UDV-LAND

Vacant Residential

1322

RES-UDV-PARK (OS) LN

Vacant Residential

140

CHILD-CARE

Commercial

300

HOTEL

Commercial

302

INN-RESORT

Commercial

304

NURSING-HOME

Health

316

WAREHOUSE

Commercial

323

SH-CNTR/MALL

Commercial

324

SUPERMARKET

Commercial

325

RETAIL-STORE

Commercial

326

EATING-ESTBL

Commercial

327

RETAIL-CONDO

Commercial

330

AUTO-SALES

Commercial

331

AUTO-SUPPLY

Commercial

332

AUTO-REPAIR

Commercial

334

GAS-STATION

Commercial

Land Use Code

Land Use Description

Category

335

CAR-WASH

Commercial

336

PARKING-GAR

Transportation

337

PARKING-LOT

Transportation

340

GEN-OFFICE

Office

341

BANK

Commercial

342

MEDICAL-OFFC

Health

343

OFFICE-CONDO

Office

345

RETAIL-OFFIC

Office

346

INV-OFFICE

Office

353

FRAT-ORGANIZ

Commercial

362

THEATRE

Commercial

370

BOWLING-ALLY

Commercial

375

TENNIS-CLUB

Commercial

390

COM-DEV-LAND

Vacant Commercial

391

COM-PDV-LAND

Vacant Commercial

392

COM-UDV-LAND

Vacant Commercial

3922

CRMCL REC LND

Vacant Commercial

400

MANUFACTURNG

Industrial

401

WAREHOUSE

Industrial

404

RES-&-DEV-FC

Office/R&D

406

HIGH-TECH

Office/R&D

407

CLEAN-MANUF

Industrial

409

INDUST-CONDO

Industrial

413

RESRCH IND CND

Industrial

422

ELEC GEN PLANT

Utility

424

PUB UTIL REG

Utility

428

GAS-CONTROL

Utility

430

TELE-EXCH-STA

Utility

440

IND-DEV-LAND

Vacant Industrial

442

IND-UDV-LAND

Vacant Industrial

920

Parklands

Public Open Space

930

Government Operations

Government Operations

934

Public Schools

Education

940

Private Pre & Elem School

Education

941

Private Secondary School

Education

942

Private College

Higher Education

9421

Private College Res Units

Education Residential

943

Other Educ & Research Org

Higher Education

Land Use Code

Land Use Description

Category

953

Cemeteries

Cemetery

955

Hospitals & Medical Offic

Health

956

Museums

Higher Education

957

Charitable Services

Charitable/Religious

960

Religious

Charitable/Religious

971

Water Utility

Utility

972

Road Right of Way

Transportation

975

MBTA/Railroad

Transportation

9751

MBTA/Railroad

Transportation

995

Private Open Space

Privately-Owned Open Space

Purpose

Updated parcel layer with the latest available land use data.

Download Layer Data

Last Modified

10-03-2023

Attributes

Name Type Details Description
ML type: String
width: 16
precision: 0
Map-Lot: This a unique parcel identifier found in the deed and used by the Assessing data system. In a few cases, where parcels have been subdivided subsequent to January 1, 2012, a placeholder Map-Lot number is assigned that differs from that used elsewhere.
MAP type: String
width: 5
precision: 0
This Map portion of the unique parcel identifier found in the deed and used by the Assessing data system. In a few cases, where parcels have been subdivided subsequent to January 1, 2012, a placeholder Map-Lot number is assigned that differs from that used elsewhere.
LOT type: String
width: 5
precision: 0
This is the Lot portion of the unique parcel identifier found in the deed and used by the Assessing data system. In a few cases, where parcels have been subdivided subsequent to January 1, 2012, a placeholder Map-Lot number is assigned that differs from that used elsewhere.
LOCATION type: String
width: 254
precision: 0
In the great majority of cases this is the street address of the parcel as it is recorded in the Registry of Deed record. In instances where edits were made to the base parcel layer the best address available at the time is employed.
LANDAREA type: Double
width: 8
precision: 15
LUCODE type: String
width: 254
precision: 0
The four digit text string in this field indicates the primary usage of a parcel. While the codes are based on the standard Massachusetts assessing land use classification system, they differ in a number of cases; the coding system used here is unique to this data set. Note that other minor uses may occur on a property and, in some cases, tenants may introduce additional uses not reflected here (eg, office space used as a medical office, home based businesses).
LUDESC type: String
width: 254
precision: 0
The short description gives more detail about the specific use indicated by the Land Use Code. Most descriptions are taken from the standard Massachusetts assessing land use classification system.
CATEGORY type: String
width: 254
precision: 0
This broader grouping of land uses can be used to map land use data. You can find the land use data mapped at: https://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/factsandmaps/mapgalleries/othermaps
EXISTUNITS type: Double
width: 8
precision: 15
This value indicates the number of existing residential units as of July 1 of the reported year. A residential unit may be a house, an apartment, a mobile home, a group of rooms or a single room that is occupied (or, if vacant, intended for occupancy) as separate living quarters. This includes units found in apartment style graduate student housing residences and rooms in assisted living facilities and boarding houses are treated as also housing units. The unit count does not include college or graduate student dormitories, nursing home rooms, group homes, or other group quarters living arrangements.
MIXEDUSETY type: String
width: 254
precision: 0
Two flags are used for this field. “Groundfloor” indicates that a commercial use is found on the ground floor of the primary building, and upper floors are used for residential purposes. “Mixed” indicates that two or more uses are found throughout the structure or multiple structures on the parcel, one of which is residential.
GQLODGINGH type: String
width: 254
precision: 0
A value of “Yes” indicates that the primary use of the property is as a group quarters living arrangement. Group quarters are a place where people live or stay, in a group living arrangement, that is owned or managed by an entity or organization providing housing and/or services for the residents. Group quarters include such places as college residence halls, residential treatment centers, skilled nursing facilities, group homes, military barracks, correctional facilities, and workers’ dormitories. Most university dormitories are included under the broader higher education land use code, as most dormitories are included in the larger parcels comprising the bulk of higher education campuses.
GRADSTUDEN type: String
width: 254
precision: 0
A value of “Yes” indicates the parcel is used to house graduate students in apartment style units. Graduate student dormitories are treated as a higher education land use.
CONDOFLAG type: String
width: 254
precision: 0
“Yes” indicates that the parcel is owned as a condominium. Condo properties can include one or more uses, including residential, commercial, and parking. The great majority of such properties in Cambridge are residential only.
TAXSTATUS type: String
width: 254
precision: 0
A value indicates that the parcel is not subject to local property taxes. The following general rules are employed to assign properties to subcategories, though special situations exist in a number of cases. o Authority: Properties owned the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority and Cambridge Housing Authority. o City: Properties owned by the City of Cambridge or cemetery land owned by the Town of Belmont. o Educ: Includes properties used for education purposes, ranging from pre-schools to university research facilities. (More detail about the level of education can be found using the Land Use Code.) o Federal: Properties owned by the federal government, including the Post Office. Certain properties with assessing data indicating Cambridge Redevelopment Authority ownership are in fact owned by the federal government as part of the Volpe Transportation Research Center and are so treated here. o Other: Nontaxable properties owned by a nonprofit organization and not falling within one of the other categories. o Religious: Properties owned by religious organizations. Parochial schools located on separate parcels from other uses are included in the Educ Nontax category. o State: Properties owned by the State of Massachusetts, including those owned by the MBTA, Middlesex County and DCR parklands.
GENERALCATEGORY type: String
width: 254
precision: 0
SHAPE.STAREA() type: Double
width: 0
precision: 0
Area of feature in internal units squared.
SHAPE.STLENGTH() type: Double
width: 0
precision: 0
Length of feature in internal units.

Coordinate System

NAD 1983 StatePlane Massachusetts Mainland FIPS 2001 Feet