Council Approves Provisions for Trees in Compact Development
Safeguarding Trees
In March 2024, legislation on new development in the city of Nashville was passed that now includes critical provisions for trees thanks to efforts led by Will Worrell, Nashville Tree Conservation Corps co-founder and board member. As part of NTCC’s mission to promote, preserve, protect, and plant trees in Nashville, contributing our expertise to developing legislation that positively affects the presence of trees in the city is an essential way of supporting our neighborhood canopies today and into the future.
Conservation Development
Conservation development aims to reduce conversion, or the impact of conversion, of parcels and lots from green cover to buildings or hard surfaces. This might, for example, prevent a forested or agricultural area from being converted into commercial or residential developments. It may also impose restrictions or requirements that maintain a certain amount of green space and vegetation on newly constructed spaces.
Land conversion from natural ecosystems to built environments has important ecological consequences resulting from less green space:
Habitat loss and fragmentation, leading to the lessened presence of certain species of wildlife and plants
Reduction in immediate and aggregate ecosystem services from wildlife and plants
Lower quality of life for local communities
Legally regulating how much green space must be preserved or planted in new development plans can help manage urban sprawl, urban heat island effects, pollution, and the presence of natural features that not only benefit local communities but are essential for livability.
Compact Development
The main feature of urban environments is dense development: small properties and parcels, buildings in close proximity, and hard surfaces like streets and sidewalks, in addition to the accessibility of utilities and services that can be provided to many people over a relatively small area. Compact development encourages higher density in the built environment, but it can also result in a lot of hard surfaces with little greenery unless it is intentionally included in construction plans or local laws.
Legislation Drafting and Approval
A period of deep research and assessment goes into drafting a proposed ordinance. Then, after it has been presented to a governing council, the public has a period of time to comment on the proposed legislation to give feedback to the voting members of the council. This can alter the details of the proposed law in a way that may be more preferable in its effect than it would have been without input from residents. Incorporating that feedback allows the resulting laws, if passed, to be representative of what a given district needs and/or desires. This might range from short comments of approval or disapproval to involved provision of sound research and impact assessments.
Planning and Zoning Committee Approval of BL2023-120
The ordinance to amend Title 17 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws, the Zoning Ordinance of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County pertaining to lot averaging, was passed unanimously in March of 2024. A “lot” is a subdivision of a property that is designated to be developed or built upon, and it exists in multiple qualities:
Raw land lots have had no construction, division, or preparation for building
Entitled land is yet untouched but has plans for construction that have been approved by local jurisdictions
Blue-top lots have been cleared of vegetation, and the land has been leveled; these are prepared for utility installation
Finished lots have underground utilities and streets installed and are ready for buildings to be constructed (after which time greenery can be planted)
NTCC board member and co-founder Will Worrell has actively shaped significant improvements in BL2023-120, a compact development ordinance that was passed by the Metro Council on March 7, 2024 (and that went into effect March 15, 2024). The revised ordinance now includes critical provisions for trees, ensuring their protection and incorporation into city planning. These improvements include:
Mandatory street trees on all streets following Metro Nashville specifications
Increased tree density in common areas, rising from 14 to 22 Tree Density Units
Required tree buffers along subdivision peripheries
A revamped clause to discourage preemptive clearcutting by linking it to reduced housing density in developments
Preservation of rural zones (T2) to maintain their rustic character
Financial incentives for developers who include additional parkland, which allows for greater housing density
Historic sites with trails and markers now count as recreational open space
NTCC's input has led to clearer and more stringent park amenity requirements.
These enhancements reflect our commitment to promoting greener policies within urban development. Thanks to Will and the NTCC team, more trees will be planted, more land and open space will be preserved, and new construction in the city will have to be more conscious in their planning process to take these requirements into account. All of this contributes to the sustainability of urban environments in the long term.
While these requirements are for new construction projects, established residents are able to make decisions about new tree plantings on their own properties of their own accord! If you’re feeling inspired to plant in your yard, browse our tree sale for locally sourced trees at reasonable prices. Our tree team is here to support planting efforts across the city, and we’re always glad to welcome new volunteers to participate! And sign up for our newsletter to stay updated on local tree news and care tips to keep our canopy green and growing!