The Surest Way to Get a Sidewalk in Nashville on Your Block is to BUILD YOUR OWN - Rules Provided

Want a sidewalk on your street?  One of the surest ways to get one is to build your own stretch. 


IF you live on a block that is in the Urban Zoning Overlay (see link entitled MAPs below for more info), in a Center or within 1/4 mile of a Center, or a street on the Major and Collector Street Plan PLUS have a home/lot on your block face that is planning new development (new home (s)), you can force the hand for mandatory sidewalk creation if you have put in your piece. The In-Lieu fee is not applicable if there is an existing sidewalk present on the same black face.

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 If you live on a street that is any of the following, sidewalks are required if you build a new single family home or two-family construction:


1) In the Urban Zoning Overlay
2) Within a Center designated in the General Plan
3) Within a 1/4 mile of a Center (with a few exceptions)
4) On a street in the Major and Collector Street Plan


The In-Lieu fee is not applicable if:


- there is an existing sidewalk in need of repair or replacement
- existing sidewalk present on the same block face
- multi-family or non-residential properties within the Urban Zoning Overlay
- multi-family or non-residential properties along a street in the major and collector plan
- if a portion of the proposed sidewalk abuts a proposed sidewalk segment that Public Works has funded and scheduled for construction




Sidewalk Bill 493 Fact Sheet


MAP:  Sidewalk Requirement Map --- click the '+' sign until you get a color change on the map, then open the Legend in the bottom L corner to obtain information


MAP:  Major and Collector Street Plan








Sidewalks Requirement Information

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For example, my Sidewalk Project #1 has been Bowling Av.  Bowling has a sidewalk from Murphy Rd to West End on the east side of the street and to Brighton on the west side of the street.  The remainder, to Woodmont, is void of walkable infrastructure cutting off an entire neighborhood from the school, a major park, the bus line on West End, businesses and the numerous places to worship.  Thanks, in large part, to our Councilwoman Kathleen Murphy, we have a new sidewalk planned to extend to Forest Park encompassing 0.9 miles.  The additional 0.5 miles, to Bowling's terminus at Woodmont, is yet to be done. 


Bowling is a street in the Urban Service District (in the gray) but not the Urban Zoning Overlay.  But, Bowling is on the Major and Collector Street Plan so, if additional pieces of sidewalk were to be put in by home owners, it would make the In-Lieu fee not applicable if a property were to be redeveloped. 

Bowling, from Forest Park to Woodmont is on the Urban Service District - the grayed out area.

Major and Collector Street Plan - Bowling is purple, a 'Collector-Avenue'




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Many have questioned to proposed costs of sidewalk by Public Works (see: Estimated costs for new sidewalks in Nashville).  There is little doubt that a private contractor could put in a sidewalk, to Public Works design standards, from much less.  This idea of building your own is worthy of consideration.