Nashville Zoning 101: See Metro’s Understanding the Zoning Code.

• A great place to start with understanding zoning and Nashville’s approach to the need for greater “Middle” housing is the Peer Advisor Memorandum: Middle-Scale Housing Policy Review (Feb 2025) that informed the Planning Commission’s

• Housing and Infrastructure report.

 

NashvilleMaps is Metro’s page of interactive and static maps including:

• Parcel Viewer - Zoning, ownership, assessment, and permit history searchable by owner or address.

• Development Tracker - Follow applications as they move through the Planning approval process; view project plans and
  comments from Planning and other Metro Departments.

• BZA Tracker - Zoning appeals and zoning exceptions are tracked here. To view the 16th District:

  • Click on the magnifying glass in the upper right corner to search

  • Click the tab Area

  • Select 16 Ginny Welsch and click Search

• Historic Zoning Commission Permit Tracker - preservation permits within historical overlays under review by the
  commission. (The 16th has one currently registered historic landmark.)

• Capital Improvements Budget - shows projects from the Current Capital Improvements Budget. See what’s being funded
  or on hold.

  • On the top banner, click the box with bookmark flag that says Bookmark

  • Scroll to District 16

• Specific Plan Zoning Map - This is where the Council approved SP zones are tracked. SP is an exception to current
  zoning. The map includes plan drawings and other specifics.

 

Nolensville Pike

Check out the Nolensville Pike Market Analysis prepared for Metro in 2011.

• Nolensville Pike Market Analysis: Volume 1: Strategic Recommendations

  • A summary of volume 1 is available here.

• Nolensville Pike Market Analysis: Volume 2-A: Office & Industrial Market Findings

• Nolensville Pike Market Analysis: Volume 2-B: Market Findings

 

Other Resources

The AARP released a report on what middle housing is, where it went, and why it’s needed. Covers many multi family dwelling types and key terms discussed at zoning meetings.

• AARP Missing Middle Housing

 

Displacement & Gentrification

Displacement and gentrification are common side effects when high-demand, typically higher-priced new construction
replaces older, affordable homes in high-demand areas like South Nashville.

 

People of color and those making 80% or less of the Median Family Income (MFI) are most in danger of displacement due to
new housing developments.

• District 16 is highly diverse, with 2 of the 10 most diverse zip codes in the state.

• In addition, 80% of Nashville’s MFI, $80K, is $64K. District 16's MFI is significantly lower than Nashville’s, at $68K as of most
  recent census data.

 

To understand how gentrification works, take a look at the following resources.

• Understanding Gentrification & Displacement (U of Texas)

• Gentrification and Its Impact on Homelessness (Crisis House)

 

Impact on Infrastructure Resources

Many concerns people have about how blanket rezoning in District 16 will impact its aging infrastructure.

• Some of those concerns can be found in the Planning Commission’s April 24, 2025 Staff Report regarding the District 16
  rezoning (pp. 141-153).

  • For a summary of the Staff Report and the April 24th Meeting, view this document from a member of 16th United.

• Further resources forthcoming.