The Downtown Code is a form-based zoning code that applies to much of the Downtown Community Plan area, west of the river. The Downtown Code shapes growth and development in downtown Nashville, and implements policies set out in the Downtown Community Plan. Adopted in 2010, the code has been amended from time-to-time over the ensuing decade, as downtown has continued to grow and evolve as a collection of neighborhoods.
Please email [email protected] with questions regarding the Downtown Code, including application processes, fees, and the Downtown Code Design Review Committee.
2026Z-004TX-001 – Rail Right-of-Way Text Amendment
This is a text amendment to the Downtown Code, rather than a specific development proposal. It clarifies the zoning for unassigned properties—primarily former rail corridors—that currently lack a specific subdistrict designation. To ensure future development is compatible with the surrounding area, the amendment extends the boundaries and entitlements of adjacent subdistricts to the center of these rail corridors. If one of these properties borders multiple subdistricts, the most restrictive zoning standards will apply, including the strictest height maximums expressed in both feet and stories. The exact language proposed is below:
Section 1. That Chapter 17.37 of the Metropolitan Code is hereby amended by deleting the second bullet point within the section entitled “Regulating Plan” on page 13 of the DTC and replacing it with the following text:
- Subdistrict boundaries extend to the centerline of all abutting rights-of-way and rail corridors.
Section 2. That Chapter 17.37 of the Metropolitan Code is hereby amended by adding a section entitled “Unassigned Properties” on page 13 of the DTC with the following text:
- Unassigned Properties, including but not limited to any railroad corridors, are granted the entitlements of the adjacent subdistrict in their entirety. In the event a property has two or more adjacent subdistricts, the property is granted the entitlements of the subdistrict with the most restrictive standards and regulations. If these adjacent districts include height maximums expressed in a mixture of feet and stories, the most restrictive of each shall also apply.
For questions regarding this text amendment, please email [email protected].
