The Department of City Planning is initiating the public review process for a major rezoning of 110 blocks in the East Village and the Lower East Side.

The proposed rezoning would for the first time establish height limits for parts of the low-rise neighborhoods and set the stage for additional residential development along a number of the area’s wider avenues.

The proposed area for rezoning is bounded by East 13th Street to the north, Avenue D to the east, Grand and Delancey streets to the south, and Third Avenue and the Bowery to the west.

The planning department’s proposal would, among other suggestions, establish a neighborhood scale for density and limit heights to between 75 feet and 80 feet, require buildings to line up at the street line, and provide opportunities for residential growth with incentives for affordable housing on Houston, Delancey, and Chrystie streets, Avenue D, and portions of Pitt Street and Second Avenue.

Community Board 3 now has 60 days to review the proposal. It will then go before the president of Manhattan, the City Planning Commission, and the City Council, as part of the city’s land use review process.

“Today’s outdated zoning allows buildings to be constructed at heights that threaten the scale and character of these unique neighborhoods. Working closely with the community, we have developed a comprehensive plan that respects and preserves these vitally important neighborhoods,” the planning commissioner, Amanda Burden, said in a statement.