In 2021, the City Council passed an amendment to eliminate minimum parking requirements. This removed zoning laws that require new buildings to include a certain amount of parking spaces. Across the country, this has shown to encourage development by cutting the costs of large parking lots and leading to more efficient land use. Parking lots take up valuable space that could be used for additional housing, businesses, or green spaces.
Select Here to Read Full AmendmentIn 2023, the City Council passed an amendment to the City Zoning Ordinance legalizing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in virtually all residential areas of the City with minimal regulations. ADUs offer a flexible and affordable solution to help address the growing need for diverse housing options. Additionally, ADUs provide opportunities for property owners to create rental income and increase their property value.
Select Here to Read Full Amendment
In 2024, the City Council approved an update to the Civic Master Plan, including Design Guidelines. These Design Guidelines serve as a guide for public officials, residents, builders, architects, designers, and property owners to inform the preferred character and qualities of future development in the city. The Design Guidelines are intended to provide a toolkit to designers to inform the design of future development.
Select Here to Read the Updated Design Guidelines
In 2025, the City Council passed a new ordinance to allow multifamily buildings up to six stories to be served with only a single stairwell. Single stair reforms have been shown to dramatically reduce construction costs, and allow for more units on smaller lot sizes, more design flexibility, larger units, and increased housing supply.
Through the CRA and a grant from Invest Health, the City of Jackson was able to create fourteen pre-approved house plans. These will be buildable plans that are free to use for any builder or developer in the city. This will cut costs and streamline the permit process. These plans were created for residential infill development in the Oman Arena Area. It is proposed to improve safety, generate deeper ownership, and create a renewed sense of pride in the neighborhood. The plans include twelve single-family homes ranging from 816 square feet to 2208 square feet. The plans also include a duplex and a quadplex
The Pre-Approved Housing Plans are currently in the final stages of approval.
In recent years, Jackson has sought to move away from such hard separations between where we live, work, and shop by opening up more and more districts for mixed-use development. Nearly all previously commercial-only districts are open to residential and mixed-use developments, including our downtown central business district. Over time, this will provide more Jacksonians with a more convenient and walkable lifestyle.