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! City Hall is now open to the public but with certain conditions. The Planning & Urban Design and Community & Economic Development departments (5th floor of City Hall) are at limited staff capacity in the building and most staff continue to work remotely. We encourage community members to continue to schedule remote meetings with staff, or to contact us via phone or email. Call our main line at (828) 259-5830 or check out the Planning & Urban Design staff directory here. If you visit us in-person you may experience some delays due to limited staff availability and new safety protocols. We are following best practices and guidelines for the health and safety of our staff and the public. Employees and the public are expected to maintain at least six feet of distance between one another at all times. Additionally, the capacity in most City elevators has been limited to one rider at a time. 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. 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 Asheville’s Urban Center zoning initiative moves forward to Planning & Zoning Commission Posted on July 2, 2021July 2, 2021 by Polly McDaniel The Urban Place Form Code District heads to the Planning & Zoning Commission on July 7 as part of the Urban Centers rezoning proposal, initiated by the Asheville Department of Planning & Urban Design. Urban Centers are a component of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, Living Asheville. They are intended to foster [...] City of Asheville releases StoryMap about City-owned property and Urban Renewal Posted on June 4, 2021 by Polly McDaniel The City of Asheville has released a new StoryMap explaining which City-owned properties came from Urban Renewal. With assistance from UNC Asheville faculty, City staff researched, identified, and mapped existing City-owned properties acquired through three Urban Renewal projects in Asheville. The Urban Renewal and City-owned Property StoryMap shows which City-owned properties came from [...] Historic Resources Commission honors two volunteers for restoring and caring for the South Asheville Cemetery Posted on May 19, 2021May 19, 2021 by Polly McDaniel Each year, the Historic Resources Commission awards an individual or individuals in the community who by word or deed has kindled among the citizenry of Asheville and Buncombe County an appreciation for the history or historic resources of the area. The Historic Resources Commission is pleased to honor this year’s recipients, George Taylor and George [...] 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.
Asheville’s Urban Center zoning initiative moves forward to Planning & Zoning Commission Posted on July 2, 2021July 2, 2021 by Polly McDaniel The Urban Place Form Code District heads to the Planning & Zoning Commission on July 7 as part of the Urban Centers rezoning proposal, initiated by the Asheville Department of Planning & Urban Design. Urban Centers are a component of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, Living Asheville. They are intended to foster [...]
City of Asheville releases StoryMap about City-owned property and Urban Renewal Posted on June 4, 2021 by Polly McDaniel The City of Asheville has released a new StoryMap explaining which City-owned properties came from Urban Renewal. With assistance from UNC Asheville faculty, City staff researched, identified, and mapped existing City-owned properties acquired through three Urban Renewal projects in Asheville. The Urban Renewal and City-owned Property StoryMap shows which City-owned properties came from [...]
Historic Resources Commission honors two volunteers for restoring and caring for the South Asheville Cemetery Posted on May 19, 2021May 19, 2021 by Polly McDaniel Each year, the Historic Resources Commission awards an individual or individuals in the community who by word or deed has kindled among the citizenry of Asheville and Buncombe County an appreciation for the history or historic resources of the area. The Historic Resources Commission is pleased to honor this year’s recipients, George Taylor and George [...]