Last updated or reviewed on April 24, 2024
The Planning and Urban Design Department provides sound, professional land use planning, zoning, urban design and historic preservation and other 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 adopted plans.
Learn more about department services, projects and initiatives by clicking any of the tabs at the top of this page. Scroll down for quick links to some of our more popular services.
NEWS!
Effective July 1, 2023, twelve staff members from the City’s Development Services Department have officially found a new home in the Planning & Urban Design Department.
“This change was considered carefully over the course of almost a year, and included many discussions with staff in both impacted departments” said Ben Woody, Assistant City Manager, who has spent time as the City’s Director of Development Services and also serves as the Interim Planning and Urban Design Director.
The goals of the reorganization include enhancing customer service, improving employee retention and attraction, and creating more efficiencies with internal processes.
OPEN ONLINE FOR BUSINESS: 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: Zoning-related services such as zoning enforcement resources and zoning verification letters. To reach the Planner of the Day for your zoning-related questions, please call 828-259-5450 or email POD@ashevillenc.gov.
BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS: Planning & Urban Design is responsible for managing nine boards and commissions. The Boards and Commissions information can be found at the tab at the top of the page. Updated information regarding the operations of all boards and commissions can be found on the City Clerk’s page.
70 Court Plaza, Asheville, NC 28801 and 161 S. Charlotte Street (Zoning and Site Plan Review)
P. O. Box 7148, Asheville, NC 28802
828-259-5830
Keep up to date on current projects and applications.
Public datasets and maps are available on the open data portal at data.ashevillenc.gov.
Schedule your required pre-application meeting for Level II, Level III, Conditional Zoning and Major Subdivision reviews.
Apply for a new homestay permit or apply to renew your existing permit.
Use online tools to look up information about permits
Search to see if it is within the City of Asheville’s permitting jurisdiction.
Find the zoning information for your project.
The Boosting the Block project advances key elements in the Pack Square Plaza Vision Plan, including the planning, design and implementation of a gateway and cultural corridor along South Market Street. It incorporates place-based investments and programming that enhances the area’s physical and cultural environment.
The purpose of the Patton Avenue Corridor Study is to develop transportation, land use, and urban design recommendations for Patton Avenue from the Jeff Bowen Bridge to the easternmost terminus at Pack Square.
The purpose of the study is to identify regulatory or policy barriers that negatively impact the production of housing supply and to develop recommendations to help Asheville prioritize next steps to better align regulations with city goals.
The City of Asheville and the Public Art and Culture Commission (PACC) seek a qualified artist(s) or designer(s) to submit their qualifications for a piece of public artwork that reimagines Station #7, the Art Deco Masterpiece, part of Asheville’s Urban Trail. Responses to this Call for Artists (CFA) will be reviewed by an Artist […]
The City of Asheville engages multiple resources and departments in an ongoing effort to continue and enhance services supporting a safe, clean, and welcoming downtown.
Our community thrives on the ability to support a vibrant and welcoming downtown for residents, businesses, and visitors. Recent times have seen an increase in concerns related to safety and cleanliness conditions. The City of Asheville has embraced a proactive approach by exploring, testing, and refining strategies for on-going and improved service delivery. We are […]
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