Nashville, TN Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Density Bonus Law (2026)
Key Facts
- Bonus amount
- 25% density or FAR increase
- Trigger
- Public land dedication in a PUD
- Approving body
- Metro Council
- Applies to
- PUD master development plans only
Summary
Metro Nashville grants developers up to a 25% density or floor-area bonus in a Planned Unit Development in exchange for dedicating land for public use, such as parks, schools, or greenways.
A development bonus may be awarded by the council to a master development plan from which there is an offer of public dedication and subsequent acceptance of land to satisfy or further a recognized community need or the provision of affordable housing. ... For each form of contribution established below, a twenty-five percent increase above the conventional density or floor area ratio (FAR) standard established by Tables 17.12.020A, 17.12.020B or 17.12.020C may be awarded.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 53 | Charter: Republication 9).
Full Breakdown
Within a Planned Unit Development (PUD) district, Metro Council may award a development bonus when a landowner dedicates land to satisfy a recognized community need or provide affordable housing. Each qualifying dedication, extra street right-of-way, a public facility site (school, park, library, fire hall), added drainage mitigation land, a historic/archaeological site, or greenway land, earns a 25% increase above the conventional density or floor area ratio (FAR) set by the base zoning district's bulk tables. The bonus density must be built elsewhere within the same PUD master development plan. Separately, Title 17.12.070 offers plaza/arcade and residential floor-area bonuses in specific mixed-use districts, but the PUD bonus is Metro's general density-bonus mechanism.
Violations & Fines
There's no fine for skipping the bonus: it's optional. A PUD master development plan that claims a density bonus without a qualifying public dedication (or that exceeds the 25% cap per dedication type) will be rejected by the Metro Planning Commission and Council at plan approval, and any construction based on an unapproved plan can be halted by the Codes Department for lacking a valid zoning permit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every Nashville development get a density bonus?
What counts as a qualifying dedication?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Nashville
Compare Nashville to another location·View the Tennessee zoning overlays & bonuses overview
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