City of Knoxville Zoning Ordinance Now in Effect

In early 2017, the City of Knoxville and Knoxville-Knox County Planning began overhauling the City’s zoning ordinance for the first time in more than 50 years.

The process, known as Recode Knoxville, continued for more than two years as planners, city staff, and consultants worked to create an ordinance that supports investment, protects our single-family neighborhoods, and connects our community.

Knoxville City Council approved the new code in August 2019, and the final ordinance went into effect on January 1, 2020. The newly adopted code is not yet available in Municode, but can be accessed on the Recode Knoxville website. A comparison of the zoning map from December 31, 2019, to the updated map as of January 1, 2020, is also now available. It should be noted that these maps will not reflect changes made after January 1, 2020. They simply provide a snapshot of the differences between the two immediately before and after the update took effect. The live zoning map can be accessed on KGIS.