The City and Knoxville-Knox County Planning have been very focused on retaining the character of our urban core neighborhoods represented in the Traditional Residential Neighborhood (TDR) area throughout the planning process for Middle Housing. There are a variety of components of the City’s proposed plan that support neighborhood character.

	Chickamauga Ave. Duplex (side-by-side)

A few highlights are listed below.

• There are specific Design Standards (found here) to promote the development of neighborhood-scale housing forms which are compatible with existing housing in the surrounding area.

• Historic and Infill Overlay areas continue to have those standards. Middle Housing standards would be in addition to those existing standards.

• Planning staff currently review historic and infill neighborhood requests to assure adherence to design standards. So, including Middle Housing in the TDR area is a natural fit for them to review as well. 

• There are some specific requirements related to height and scale of buildings, in addition to where those housing forms can be developed to support compatibility. See the Dimensional Standards (found here) and the Proposed Middle Housing Types Allowed in TDR chart on the What’s the City’s Proposal for Middle Housing in Knoxville? page. 

• A minimum of one off-street parking space per unit must be provided, yet those developing the property can do more if they choose. The Parking Standards can be found here.

• To retain existing housing stock and neighborhood character, there are also standards for conversion of existing buildings (found here) to Middle Housing types.

QUICK LINKS: FAQs | Middle Housing Types | Opticos Report | Benefits to Community | City's Proposal | Fitting with Existing Neighborhoods | Timeline of City's Proposal