What we do The Planning and Urban Design Department provides sound, professional land use planning, zoning, urban design and historic preservation services to achieve livable and sustainable neighborhoods for everyone. The department is committed to collaborating with our community on its vision for equitable growth and development consistent with Asheville’s comprehensive plan. COVID-19 Information We’re Working for You! All departments within the City of Asheville are operating. In the Planning & Urban Design Department some staff are in the City’s Area Command and some are working remotely. Our department continues to work on City Council and community priorities. Zoning inspections and enforcement also continue even though our physical office is closed at City Hall. We are following best practices and guidelines for the health and safety of our staff and the public. OPEN ONLINE FOR BUSINESS: Click here to access online development-related services, including paying fees, submitting a digital permit application, scheduling an inspection, and reporting a food truck. See other Related Services below for additional development services available to you. ZONING SERVICES: Click here for zoning-related services, such as zoning enforcement resources and zoning verification letters. BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS: Planning & Urban Design is responsible for several boards and commissions. Click here or the boards and commissions tab at the top of the page for more information. Updated information regarding the operations of all boards and commissions can be found here. OTHER SERVICES: Check up on other department projects and initiatives by clicking any of the tabs of your interest at the top of this page. While the office is closed, planning staff can be reached by phone and email. Call our main line at (828) 259-5830, or check out the Planning & Urban Design staff directory here. This is an evolving situation. Our partners in Buncombe County are a great resource for the latest information on our community’s COVID-19 response. To receive emergency texts directly from Buncombe County for breaking health and safety news text BCALERT on your smartphone to 888-777. Sign up for AVL Alerts online for information from the City of Asheville. ConnectPlanning and Urban Design70 Court Plaza, Asheville, NC 28801Mailing AddressPO Box 7148, Asheville, NC 28802Business HoursMonday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.Director Todd Okolichany, AICP, LEED AP NDPhone828-259-5830Additional LinksStaff Directory Related Services Learn about large-scale development Keep up to date on current projects and applications. Explore city data Public datasets and maps are available on the open data portal at data.ashevillenc.gov. Schedule a mandatory Technical Review Committee pre-application meeting Schedule your required pre-application meeting for Level II, Level III, Conditional Zoning and Major Subdivision reviews. Apply for a homestay permit Apply for a new homestay permit or apply to renew your existing permit. Look up information about a permit Use online tools to look up information about permits Check whether your address is within city limits Search to see if it is within the City of Asheville's permitting jurisdiction. Find what permits and licenses you need for your business Use Asheville's Open for Business wizard to find out what permits and licenses you will need and an estimate of permit fees. Find location and zoning information Find the zoning information for your project. More Related Services Planning and Urban Design News City of Asheville Council to consider extending hotel moratorium Posted on September 4, 2020September 8, 2020 by Ashley Traynum-Carson In September 2019, the Asheville City Council approved a temporary moratorium on the approval of new hotels, which meant that no hotel development applications would be approved for a year. Since then, staff and consultants have worked diligently to understand the issues surrounding hotel development and assess the impacts. In late [...] City of Asheville releases revised hotel overlay map as part of updated development standards Posted on August 10, 2020August 10, 2020 by Polly McDaniel Visit the revised Asheville hotel overlay map at this link: https://bit.ly/3abB4zn. Over the last year, the City of Asheville Department of Planning and Urban Design has been developing revisions to the City’s hotel development standards, based upon recommendations from the Urban Land Institute and public input. This week, staff will begin presenting [...] City of Asheville shares FAQ about hotel development revisions Posted on July 30, 2020August 3, 2020 by Polly McDaniel Thanks to everyone who has participated in the Hotel Development Survey. We appreciate your Input! Here are the answers to many of the questions that were raised in the survey. Frequently Asked Questions Can the city ban hotels permanently? If someone does not like a particular land use or perceives a use to have negative impacts this does [...] More Planning and Urban Design News
Explore city data Public datasets and maps are available on the open data portal at data.ashevillenc.gov.
Schedule a mandatory Technical Review Committee pre-application meeting Schedule your required pre-application meeting for Level II, Level III, Conditional Zoning and Major Subdivision reviews.
Check whether your address is within city limits Search to see if it is within the City of Asheville's permitting jurisdiction.
Find what permits and licenses you need for your business Use Asheville's Open for Business wizard to find out what permits and licenses you will need and an estimate of permit fees.
City of Asheville Council to consider extending hotel moratorium Posted on September 4, 2020September 8, 2020 by Ashley Traynum-Carson In September 2019, the Asheville City Council approved a temporary moratorium on the approval of new hotels, which meant that no hotel development applications would be approved for a year. Since then, staff and consultants have worked diligently to understand the issues surrounding hotel development and assess the impacts. In late [...]
City of Asheville releases revised hotel overlay map as part of updated development standards Posted on August 10, 2020August 10, 2020 by Polly McDaniel Visit the revised Asheville hotel overlay map at this link: https://bit.ly/3abB4zn. Over the last year, the City of Asheville Department of Planning and Urban Design has been developing revisions to the City’s hotel development standards, based upon recommendations from the Urban Land Institute and public input. This week, staff will begin presenting [...]
City of Asheville shares FAQ about hotel development revisions Posted on July 30, 2020August 3, 2020 by Polly McDaniel Thanks to everyone who has participated in the Hotel Development Survey. We appreciate your Input! Here are the answers to many of the questions that were raised in the survey. Frequently Asked Questions Can the city ban hotels permanently? If someone does not like a particular land use or perceives a use to have negative impacts this does [...]