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 location and zoning information Find the zoning information for your project. More Related Services Related Projects Downtown Master Plan Updates The Downtown Master Plan Updates will build on the Downtown Master Plan and Appendices (completed in 2009), to take a deeper dive into specific topics of focus related to the public realm. The Master Plan Updates will help address concerns about management of public spaces, enhancement of community character and expanded options for place-making. Urban Centers The City Council adopted the Urban Place Form Code District on September 28, 2021. The new zoning district aims to implement the transit-supportive growth strategy that is identified on the Preferred Growth Scenario Map of Living Asheville: A Comprehensive Plan for Our Future. Thomas Wolfe Cabin Master Planning Process The purpose of the project was to develop a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary master plan intended to celebrate the literary accomplishments of Thomas Wolfe, better integrate the site into the Asheville park system and guide the restoration or rehabilitation of the cabin. More Related Projects Planning and Urban Design News City and County kick off next steps for the future of Pack Square Plaza Posted on January 18, 2022 by Kim Miller The City of Asheville and Buncombe County are partnering to document the community’s vision for the future of Pack Square Plaza, including the site where the Vance Monument was previously located, and we need a talented Project Manager to help make that happen. The deadline for submitting proposals to the Project Manager RFP is Friday, February 11. Interested parties can find the advertisement on the City’s bid page. Update: Proposed Open Space zoning updates postponed Posted on January 3, 2022January 6, 2022 by Polly McDaniel Update, January 5 The agenda item, open spaces, has been pulled from the January 5 Planning and Zoning meeting agenda. Original post, January 3 The City of Asheville Department of Planning and Urban Design is bringing development-related zoning updates to the Planning & Zoning Commission at 5 p.m. January 5 and then to the City [...] City Manager Development Forum returns in remote format November 19 Posted on November 9, 2021November 9, 2021 by Polly McDaniel The City Manager’s Development Forum returns — in a remote format — from noon to 1 p.m. November 19. During the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, construction and development has continued in Asheville. While the Development Forum will be held virtually with no in-person components, it offers an opportunity to learn about trends [...] 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.
Downtown Master Plan Updates The Downtown Master Plan Updates will build on the Downtown Master Plan and Appendices (completed in 2009), to take a deeper dive into specific topics of focus related to the public realm. The Master Plan Updates will help address concerns about management of public spaces, enhancement of community character and expanded options for place-making.
Urban Centers The City Council adopted the Urban Place Form Code District on September 28, 2021. The new zoning district aims to implement the transit-supportive growth strategy that is identified on the Preferred Growth Scenario Map of Living Asheville: A Comprehensive Plan for Our Future.
Thomas Wolfe Cabin Master Planning Process The purpose of the project was to develop a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary master plan intended to celebrate the literary accomplishments of Thomas Wolfe, better integrate the site into the Asheville park system and guide the restoration or rehabilitation of the cabin.
City and County kick off next steps for the future of Pack Square Plaza Posted on January 18, 2022 by Kim Miller The City of Asheville and Buncombe County are partnering to document the community’s vision for the future of Pack Square Plaza, including the site where the Vance Monument was previously located, and we need a talented Project Manager to help make that happen. The deadline for submitting proposals to the Project Manager RFP is Friday, February 11. Interested parties can find the advertisement on the City’s bid page.
Update: Proposed Open Space zoning updates postponed Posted on January 3, 2022January 6, 2022 by Polly McDaniel Update, January 5 The agenda item, open spaces, has been pulled from the January 5 Planning and Zoning meeting agenda. Original post, January 3 The City of Asheville Department of Planning and Urban Design is bringing development-related zoning updates to the Planning & Zoning Commission at 5 p.m. January 5 and then to the City [...]
City Manager Development Forum returns in remote format November 19 Posted on November 9, 2021November 9, 2021 by Polly McDaniel The City Manager’s Development Forum returns — in a remote format — from noon to 1 p.m. November 19. During the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, construction and development has continued in Asheville. While the Development Forum will be held virtually with no in-person components, it offers an opportunity to learn about trends [...]