Planning Department

Community Planning

Most people know Metro Planning though its work processing and reviewing current plans (zone changes, subdivision requests, etc.). But Metro Planning also works in partnership with communities and neighborhoods to build a better Nashville by conducting future planning.

In Metro Nashville/Davidson County, future planning takes place on three levels:

  • There is a General Plan that is county-wide and provides the development philosophy for the entire County. The General Plan has two main pieces: Concept 2010 Plan and Mobility 2010 Plan.

  • There are fourteen Community Plans – one for each the communities within Davidson County. Community Plans are updated every seven to ten years. They include Land Use Policy that is used to guide future subdivision and zone change decisions as well as decisions on infrastructure investments.

  • Within each Community Plan there may be one or more Detailed Neighborhood Design Plans that provide a greater level of detailed guidance for future planning within a neighborhood.


Each of these is a future planning tool that outlines policy to guide development. Sometimes, however, residents and the Council member are ready to turn policy into practice. This can be done by applying an Urban Design Overlay (UDO).

UDOs overlay base zoning applying additional development standards. The policies and development goals and objectives outlined in the Community Plan or Detailed Neighborhood Design Plan can be translated into a UDO

Find out more

Find your Community and read its Community Plan
This map will take you to each of Nashville's fourteen planning communities, where you can read the Community Plan and Detailed Neighborhood Design Plans for each community, and find out if the Community Plan for your area is being updated.

What is a Community Plan?

What is a Detailed Neighborhood Design Plan?

What is an Urban Design Overlay?

Neighborhood Guidebook – Philosophy on Creating Neighborhoods

Map of Nashville's Neighborhoods
Find out if there is a neighborhood association in your area.

Nashville's Neighborhood Profiles
Metro Planning has created profiles of some neighborhoods within the County.

How to get involved in community meetings

Other Resources for Neighborhoods

What neighborhood do I live in? Find out by using our online property mapping feature

The Civic Design Center

Mayor's Office of Neighborhoods

Neighbors Planning Neighborhoods Partnership

Neighborhoods Resource Center

Neighborhood Organization Links
Find out what various neighborhoods are doing.


Want to know more about active neighborhood groups and who to contact in your area? Call or e-mail:

Anita McCaig

Metropolitan Planning Department
730 2nd Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37210
Phone: (615) 862-7156
Fax: (615) 862-7209