Board of Supervisors President David Chiu introduced legislation Tuesday that changes a number of planning codes for District 3, which includes Chinatown, North Beach and the waterfront.

Chiu said that the legislation will most impact the “dense, walkable and historic neighborhoods of our city’s northeast corner” that will “advance a number of our city’s pressing planning goals to create more affordable housing, to help reuse historic buildings, to encourage local businesses to grow and thrive, to create walkable neighborhoods, safe and attractive streetscapes to reduce traffic congestion and to make our city more sustainable by encouraging walking, cycling and public transit.”

He said the code changes will “ensure well-designed projects which fit well within our neighborhoods.”

The numerous proposed changes apply to a number of specially defined areas in the district. They include such things like the removal of parking requirements in Chinatown, North Beach and lower Broadway areas, and the reduction of residential parking requirements in the Van Ness corridor, according to the legislation. It also “facilitates conversion of automobile service stations located on important transit and pedestrian streets to other compatible uses.”

When it comes to affordable housing in certain areas, the legislation would exempt below-market-rate units onsite from the calculations of floor area ratio limits.