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City Land Use Classifications

Refer to the appropriate Sector Plan for land use classifications in Knox County.

City of Knoxville

(C-N)
City Zoning Districts
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Code
Classification
Description
Location Criteria
Permitted Zones
CC

CC
Community Commercial

This land use includes retail and service-oriented development, including shops, restaurants, and "big box" retail stores. The typical service area includes 20,000 to 30,000 residents.
  • Sites should be relatively flat (under 10 percent slope) and with enough depth to support shopping center and ancillary development.
  • Vehicular and pedestrian connections should be accommodated between different components of the district (e.g. between stores, parking areas and out-parcel development)
  • Infrastructure should include adequate water and sewer services, and major arterial highway access
  • Develop community commercial areas providing a wide range of goods and services to accommodate the majority of consumer needs within major geographic sectors of the community
  • Locate community serving commercial development on major collector and arterials streets on sites which allow for the clustering of activities and result in minimal negative impact on adjacent properties of the transportation system.
  • Control the formation of new community commercial areas to ensure the balanced distribution of commercial services throughout the City
O, C-N, C-G, C-H
MU-NC

MU-NC
Mixed Use Neighborhood Center

This land use is the least intense of the mixed use classifications. It is intended for medium density mixed use development with housing densities of 6 to 12 dwelling units per acre. The buildings of these centers should be designed with a residential character and scale to serve as a complement to the surrounding neighborhoods.
  • Currently served by or planned to be served by sidewalks
  • At the intersection of a local street and throughfare
  • Flat terrain (slopes generally less than 10 percent)
  • Next to low or medium density residential
  • Does not include auto and truck- oriented uses such as industrial, strip commercial and warehouse / distribution uses unless the proposal calls for a redevelopment of such areas
O, C-N
NC

NC
Neighborhood Commercial

This classification includes retail and service- oriented commercial uses intended to provide goods and services for the day-to-day needs of households within a .5 mile radius.
  • Locate on collector or arterial streets that result in minimum negative impacts on adjacent properties
  • Limit the size of neighborhood commercial areas to 5 acres or less, depending on site characteristics
  • New NC should not be zoned for or developed within .5 mile of existing commercial development that features sales of day-to-day goods and services
  • Automobile-oriented uses (e.g. gas stations or convenience stores) should be located on arterial streets at the edge of neighborhoods
C-N