Front yard

A front yard is required open area extending along a lot's street line, kept generally unobstructed from the ground up. Whether one is required, and how deep it must be, is set by the district's bulk rules: front yards are principally a feature of the lower-density residence districts, where they produce the planted margins between stoop and sidewalk. Denser districts commonly require none — street walls standing at the street line are lawful and often mandatory there.

The bulk rules enumerate permitted obstructions — features like steps, fences, and plantings that may occupy a required front yard under stated conditions. A corner lot fronts two streets and typically owes front-yard treatment along both, one of several ways lot type rewrites yard obligations.