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Agency Overview

Knoxville-Knox County Planning (Planning) was established in 1956 by Knoxville and Knox County as the agency responsible for comprehensive county-wide planning and administration of zoning and land subdivision regulations and remains so today, except for the town of Farragut. Funding for Planning activities comes primarily from city and county appropriations and from federal grants for specific studies.

Boards, Commissions, and Case Updates

Meeting schedules, up-to-date case info, agenda updates, and minutes are available for the following boards and commissions staffed by Knoxville-Knox County Planning.

City of Knoxville One Year Plan (OYP)

The City's Charter mandates the annual adoption of a one year comprehensive development plan covering the entire city and requires future zoning decisions in the city conform to the community's comprehensive development plans.

City Zoning Ordinance

A comprehensive update to the City of Knoxville's zoning ordinance passed on second reading at Knoxville City Council's August 13, 2019 meeting. The ordinance is effective as of January 1, 2020.

Community Growth Information

Design Guidelines

Design Review Board

The Board meets the 3rd Wednesday of every month at 4:00 pm in the Small Assembly Room of the City County Building, unless noted otherwise. Effective August 28, 2020, the Design Review Board will review all applications within the Infill Housing Overlay (IH).

East Knox Community Plan

East Knox Community Plan will build upon and enhance existing plans for the area by developing a community vision and identifying a variety of tools to achieve this vision. By using existing plans, and assessing other planning themes not previously addressed in those plans, the East Knox Community Plan will help the community and its stakeholders plan for the future.

Historic Preservation in Knoxville and Knox County

Infill Housing Overlay

Effective August 28, 2020, all applications within the Infill Housing Overlay (IH) will be reviewed by the Design Review Board. You can find information about past meetings in the archive below.

Legislative Actions and Appeals Process

The Planning Commission votes on a number of items at its regular meeting. Some recommendations require further action by Knox County Commission or Knoxville City Council. In other cases the decision is final - unless appealed.

Naming Private Rights-of-way

A private right-of-way (ROW) is a privately-owned access strip that is separate from the lots it serves and can serve an unlimited number of property owners.

Open Data

Knoxville-Knox County Planning collects data to support its planning efforts in Knoxville and Knox County. This data is not just valuable to our agency, it is valuable to Knox County residents.

Plan Amendments

Planning Processes

Plans and Studies

The Planning Commission prepares plans and studies for the City of Knoxville and Knox County area.

Sectors and Sector Plans

Staff Support

Urban areas like Knoxville and Knox County operate through the interworkings of many groups: profit and nonprofit, government and private, elected and appointed, paid and volunteer. Knoxville-Knox County Planning is a major player among these.

Subdivision Regulations

Knoxville-Knox County Planning is responsible for regulations governing the subdivision of land in the City of Knoxville and Knox County. These regulations include administrative procedures for plat review and designs standards for improvements in subdivisions.

The Rezoning Process

Use On Review

In addition to uses permitted as a right by the zoning ordinance, special uses may be established and maintained only with the approval of the Planning Commission.

Working Together for Community Growth

Zoning and Regulations

Zoning Ordinances

On a yearly basis, Planning staff compile a report of their activities and present them to the Planning Commission at their Annual Meeting each October.