A Small Zoning Change With a Big Effect

The city of Lexington, Kentucky recently amended its B-6P zone, which regulates "Planned Shopping Centers."

1 minute read

February 20, 2018, 12:00 PM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Kentucky

MadGeek1450 / Wikimedia Commons

"In late January, the Lexington, Kentucky City Council voted unanimously to upzone the city’s B-6P zone," reports Nolan Gray.

"Before the change, this zone was known as a 'Planned Shopping Center,' and it essentially mandated that large chunks of Lexington’s major suburban corridors take a low-density, retail-only, auto-oriented form," according to Gray. The reformed B-6P zone "will now scrap its parking requirements, rein in its anti-density restrictions, and allow both retail and multifamily housing by-right."

Gray takes a deep dive into the changes Lexington approved to the B-6P zone in the hopes of producing replicable models for use by other cities and communities around the country. Gray also suggests that similar changes could be made to the commercial zoning in other parts of Lexington. 

Thursday, February 15, 2018 in Strong Towns

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Calvary Street bridge over freeway in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path

Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.

1 hour ago - Smart Cities Dive

Holland Tunnel, vehicular tunnel under Hudson River that connects New York City neighborhood of SoHo in Lower Manhattan to east with Jersey City in New Jersey.

Congestion Pricing Drops Holland Tunnel Delays by 65 Percent

New York City’s contentious tolling program has yielded improved traffic and roughly $100 million in revenue for the MTA.

3 hours ago - Curbed

People walking up and down stairs in New York City subway station.

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving

Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

April 18 - Scientific American