Knoxville-Knox County Planning

09/03/2026

Our office will be closed on Labor Day, Monday, September 7. We will reopen with regular business hours on Tuesday, September 8.

09/02/2026

Save the Date!

This spring we listened and learned.

This summer we shared what we heard and confirmed.

This fall we will present a draft vision statement and goals based on your feedback, plus options to shape Knoxville’s future.

Join us at one of our fall input sessions and weigh in with your priorities!

Learn more at WhatsNextKnoxville.com

Image alt text: Invitation for Input Sessions at various locations in Knoxville from September 21 – October 1.

08/27/2026

What’s Knoxville going to look like in 2050? Your neighbors have weighed in – come see what they said and tell us if you agree! Learn more about What's Next Knoxville? - the City of Knoxville's comprehensive plan update - at our booth at the Neighborhood Resource Fair at the World's Fair Exhibition Hall this Saturday from 9am – 1pm! It's a FREE event with food, activities, and information on City resources for the whole family!

More info at WhatsNextKnoxville.com

08/07/2026

Monday is the first day of school for Knox County, but learning happens beyond the classroom as well. Parks, greenways, libraries, and community spaces all help create opportunities for exploration and lifelong learning! Here's just a few to check out:
Knox County Public Library
Knox County Parks & Rec
City of Knoxville Parks and Recreation
Knoxville's Urban Wilderness
Safety City- Knoxville

Image alt text: A person and a child stand under a covered pavilion in front of a lake on a sunny day. Several ducks are visible along the shoreline in the foreground.

08/06/2026

Heads up for this weekend. James White Parkway will have closures over the next several weekends (weather permitting).

Starting at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7, myTDOT's repairs to the James White Parkway bridges next to Covenant Health Park will close parts of the parkway for four consecutive weekends. Note: The James White Parkway bridges over the Tennessee River are NOT impacted by the closure. The section of the map marked in red indicates where the work is taking place.

Link to TDOT announcement and more info about the closures and detours in the comments.

08/04/2026

**UPDATE 8/5/26, 5:08 p.m. **

Thank you for your comments. To be sure everyone has correct information, we direct you to the project website.
AdvanceKnox.org/udo/zoning/agriculture

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Last week we released the second draft zoning map for the Unified Development Ordinance. It allows you to compare your property’s current and proposed zoning, and changes from the first draft. You can provide comments directly on the map through August 31, 2026, at https://advanceknox.org/udo/feedback

A notable change has been made related to the Agricultural zone.

For all parcels currently zoned Agricultural (A), the Rural Residential (RR) zoning district was applied. Any property owner whose parcel is designated on Draft Map 2 as Rural Residential (RR) or Rural Preservation (RP) may request to opt into a more restrictive zoning district. This application honors the rights property owners have today while giving them the choice to apply a new, more restrictive district to reflect the rural character or agricultural uses on the property.

For property owners who wish to request this change, please complete the Agricultural District Opt-In Form by Monday, August 31, 2026.

Image alt text: Side-by-side comparison of the draft 2 zoning map and current zoning map for Knox County.

07/17/2026

See the survey results and comments on the interactive map at WhatsNextKnoxville.com/get-involved/round1

Be on the lookout for the full round 1 engagement summary coming soon! Follow What's Next Knoxville? and subscribe to the newsletter!

And the survey says... over 1800 of you took our community survey and the results are in! See the report, plus check out the comments provided on the interactive map at WhatsNextKnoxville.com/get-involved/round1

Coming soon, we’ll have a full summary of everything we heard during our first round of engagement. Thank you for participating in this process, and please stay involved!

Image alt text: Person stands in front of the What’s Next Knoxville Headquarters holding up a speech bubble sign that says “It’s where it’s at” with a picture of the sun.

07/13/2026

The next public meeting about the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) will provide an update on changes made to Articles 4-7, draft articles related to Module D including parking, landscaping, signs, open space, infrastructure, and stormwater regulations, and a second draft zoning map.

Please register in advance: https://bit.ly/UDOMeeting7292026

Image alt text: Invitation that says "Save the date! Knox County Unified Development Ordinance Virtual Meeting Wednesday, July 29, 2026, 10:00 - 11:30 AM." The Advance Knox logo is in the bottom right corner, and in the background is a watermark of the Advance Knox icon.

07/07/2026

LAST CALL! This Sunday, July 5 is the last day to take the survey and be entered to win a $50 K Brew gift card at WhatsNextKnoxville.com/Get-Involved

More importantly, it’s your chance to have your voice heard and to help shape decisions on where and how the city develops, what type of infrastructure will support it, and influence where investments are made for years to come.

Image alt text: Photos showing people interacting at ‘What’s Next Knoxville?’ outreach booths at various events and the headquarters on Market Square.

07/02/2026

Our office will be closed in observance of Independence Day on Friday, July 3. We will reopen with regular business hours on Monday, July 6.

Image alt text: Graphic with teal overlay showing the Gay Street bridge and the city of Knoxville in the background. Large white text reads 'Planning News.' Below, the Knoxville-Knox County planning logo.