A Small Zoning Change With a Big Effect

"In late January, the Lexington, Kentucky City Council voted unanimously to upzone the city’s B-6P zone," reports Nolan Gray.

"Before the change, this zone was known as a 'Planned Shopping Center,' and it essentially mandated that large chunks of Lexington’s major suburban corridors take a low-density, retail-only, auto-oriented form," according to Gray. The reformed B-6P zone "will now scrap its parking requirements, rein in its anti-density restrictions, and allow both retail and multifamily housing by-right."

Gray takes a deep dive into the changes Lexington approved to the B-6P zone in the hopes of producing replicable models for use by other cities and communities around the country. Gray also suggests that similar changes could be made to the commercial zoning in other parts of Lexington.