In Appreciation of Nashville's Innovative New Downtown Code

Charlie Gardner writes about what can be found in, and more importantly what is excluded from, one of the most progressive code revisions to be adopted by a major American city.

1 minute read

February 23, 2012, 7:00 AM PST

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


Gardner writes that Nashville has been quick to embrace new trends in planning and development, for better or for worse, in its history. And he points to several significant elements of the new plan for its downtown that hope to right past planning wrongs.

Chief among these progressive steps are the elimination of parking minimums, a de facto abolition of Euclidean zoning, and the eradication of most setback requirements. According to Gardner, "these are remarkable achievements in contemporary planning and zoning, representing a reversal of almost 100 years of planning policy and a liberation of basic property rights long held hostage by the city."

Tuesday, February 21, 2012 in Old Urbanist

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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