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 City of Asheville staff to present updated hotel development ordinance to the Planning and Zoning Commission in December Posted on November 24, 2020November 24, 2020 by Ashley Traynum-Carson Following two City Council work sessions, the City of Asheville Department of Planning and Urban Design has further analyzed the proposed hotel development regulations and will be holding a public hearing to present the revised regulations at 5 p.m. Dec. 2 the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting. At the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, City staff [...] Asheville City Council adopts Haywood-Page properties Master Concept Plan Posted on October 27, 2020 by Polly McDaniel After more than three years of community engagement around the future use of City-owned properties on Haywood Street and Page Avenue downtown, a master concept plan for the properties went before Asheville City Council Oct. 27. The plan by Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects incorporates a mix of uses, including: A central plaza for community gatherings and [...] Concept plan for Haywood Street and Page Avenue properties headed to Asheville City Council Posted on October 5, 2020October 5, 2020 by Ashley Traynum-Carson For a narrated video of the Haywood Street and Page Avenue Master Concept Plan, visit this link. Following a series of community input and engagement activities this spring, the City of Asheville Department of Planning and Urban Design is pleased to release the Haywood Street and Page Avenue Master Concept Plan. The plan [...] 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 staff to present updated hotel development ordinance to the Planning and Zoning Commission in December Posted on November 24, 2020November 24, 2020 by Ashley Traynum-Carson Following two City Council work sessions, the City of Asheville Department of Planning and Urban Design has further analyzed the proposed hotel development regulations and will be holding a public hearing to present the revised regulations at 5 p.m. Dec. 2 the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting. At the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, City staff [...]
Asheville City Council adopts Haywood-Page properties Master Concept Plan Posted on October 27, 2020 by Polly McDaniel After more than three years of community engagement around the future use of City-owned properties on Haywood Street and Page Avenue downtown, a master concept plan for the properties went before Asheville City Council Oct. 27. The plan by Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects incorporates a mix of uses, including: A central plaza for community gatherings and [...]
Concept plan for Haywood Street and Page Avenue properties headed to Asheville City Council Posted on October 5, 2020October 5, 2020 by Ashley Traynum-Carson For a narrated video of the Haywood Street and Page Avenue Master Concept Plan, visit this link. Following a series of community input and engagement activities this spring, the City of Asheville Department of Planning and Urban Design is pleased to release the Haywood Street and Page Avenue Master Concept Plan. The plan [...]