Zoning Overlays & Bonuses in Tennessee (2026)
9 rules on the books across Tennessee, 6 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Density Bonus Law
California Density Bonus Law (Gov Code §65915) and local implementations granting up to 50% density bonuses for affordable-housing projects.
Knoxville
Significant RestrictionsKnoxville's Planned Development process lets the City Council grant exceptions to zoning district dimensional…
Read full rule →Murfreesboro
Some RestrictionsMultifamily developments in Murfreesboro's RM-12 and RM-16 districts can earn up to a 30% density bonus by providing…
Read full rule →Nashville
Some RestrictionsMetro Nashville grants developers up to a 25% density or floor-area bonus in a Planned Unit Development in exchange for…
Read full rule →Downtown Design Guide
LA's Downtown Design Guide and Community Plan governing high-rise massing, ground-floor activation, and adaptive-reuse standards in DTLA.
Franklin
Significant RestrictionsFranklin's historic downtown sits inside the Historic Preservation Overlay (HPO). Any construction, alteration…
Read full rule →Knoxville
Significant RestrictionsKnoxville requires a certificate of appropriateness from the Design Review Board before any new construction…
Read full rule →Murfreesboro
Significant RestrictionsThe Murfreesboro Planning Commission is designated the City's design review commission under Code § 22-15, with…
Read full rule →Chattanooga
Some RestrictionsDowntown Chattanooga development follows a separate Form-Based Code, not the standard zoning chapter. Sec. 38-692…
Read full rule →Memphis
Some RestrictionsAny exterior sign in Memphis's central business improvement district must clear a design review board process before a…
Read full rule →Nashville
Some RestrictionsMetro Nashville adopted the Downtown Code (DTC), a separate development-standards document that sets building…
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