Memphis is undertaking one of the most defining land-use decisions in its modern history. While the text of the code was updated in 2010, the city is revising its zoning map for the first time in 70 years — resetting the legal framework that governs how property can be used, developed, and valued across the region.
When zoning changes at this scale, it reshapes neighborhoods, economic opportunity, business growth and property value.
The City of Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development (DPD) recently released a public review draft of a rewritten Unified Development Code (UDC) and draft zoning maps. The current UDC was first adopted in 2010, and the city has said the update is intended to simplify the code, align it with Memphis 3.0 and support diverse housing, walkability and neighborhood revitalization.
These are legitimate public goals. Over time, piecemeal amendments can make zoning harder to read, administer and navigate. DPD’s own public materials say that the UDC rewrite is meant to make the code clearer, more user-friendly and better aligned with the Memphis 3.0 Comprehensive Plan.
But zoning is centered on law, process, expectations, and value. When zoning provides clarity and predictability, it encourages investment and reinvestment. When it introduces uncertainty or restricts use, it can slow or redirect growth. At its core, zoning is about capital. It determines whether a project can be financed, whether a property can be redeveloped, and whether investment flows into or away from a market.
In rewriting its zoning code and map, some property owners gain development rights and some lose them. Upzoning can increase intensity and value, while downzoning can reduce options, complicate financing and limit future redevelopment. Zoning reform must be judged by its real-world impact on existing property owners and businesses.
And that is where the Memphis debate deserves close attention.
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This column was written by James Maclin and originally appeared in The Daily Memphian.
