Nashville planning staff say current zoning could produce 70,000 units while city needs about 90,000; study to report findings to council in March

Greg Claxton, principal planner with Metro Nashville Planning Department, told a public community conversation that the department has launched a housing and infrastructure study to examine whether local rules limit how much housing gets built.

Claxton said initial estimates show the city’s existing zoning and map could yield roughly 70,000 housing units over the next 10 years under current rules, while a separate Unified Housing Strategy estimate suggests Nashville should plan for about 90,000 additional homes; planners are considering an additional 20,000–30,000-unit buffer beyond that. "We think under the current zoning code and the current zoning map, we expect that we could build out probably 70,000 units," Claxton said. He added the Unified Housing Strategy figure of 90,000 units is the more realistic planning target and that staff are still refining the final numbers.

The study will look at the rules that govern how property can be used and how those rules shape where and what form housing gets built, Claxton said. "This study is not focused on affordable housing with one minor caveat that I'm gonna explain later on," he said, noting the study is primarily about market-rate production and zoning rather than subsidy programs.

Why it matters: planners said household formation — the number of households created as adult children form new households and others move into separate units — has spiked since 2020 and is the main driver of housing demand. Claxton showed the planning framework the department uses, Nashville Next, and described the growth-and-preservation concept map that guides where officials expect growth to occur: centers and corridors targeted for more housing, a green network of preservation areas, and transition-and-infill zones within roughly 600 feet of corridors and centers intended to smooth transitions to neighborhoods.

Planned process and timing: Claxton told attendees the study is at an early stage and that staff will bring a findings report to Metro Council in March, followed by additional engagement and refining of recommendations through April–June, with a final report expected in June. "We will bring a report to council at the March that compiles all of our findings and provides a set of recommendations," he said, adding that recommendations will focus on zoning code changes, modestly scaled district standards, and map adjustments in strategic locations.

State tool and affordability: Claxton noted one limited intersection with subsidized housing: a new state tool that would allow a bonus program in which a property owner could receive developmental entitlements in exchange for providing a small number of affordable units. Staff said they are investigating whether and how a bonus program could be calibrated for Nashville.

Public questions and coordination: In a public question, resident George Ewing asked whether growth pressures at the county edge and intercounty commuting were creating transit demand and whether the city’s housing study is coordinated with a countywide conservation master plan. Claxton acknowledged multiple ongoing planning efforts — including coordination with the regional council’s transportation planning and a conservation study — and said the department expects to phase recommendations so initial zoning tools can be proposed even while other studies continue to refine guidance.

What’s next: The Planning Department is scheduling additional community conversations (announced at the meeting for Madison Library and Bordeaux Library) and maintaining materials and a longer explainer video on the department website for people who want more detail.