Tennessee law requires metro region growth boundaries

Tennessee has approved a law requiring metropolitan regions to adopt urban growth boundaries (UGBs) by July, 2001. Unlike Oregon’s UGBs, which strongly restrict growth outside of the boundary, Tennessee’s law allows medium to low density growth outside the UGB. Moreover, the Tennessee law does not define high, medium or low density growth. Despite the law’s vagueness, some observers feel that it is a victory for growth management in Tennessee. Stuart Meck, principal researcher for the American Planning Association’s “Growing Smart” project, points out the law will require intergovernmental cooperation to create plans to direct growth at the county level. “I believe that these plans will be used by government to send signals to the private sector as to how and where development should occur,” he says. “As the process evolves and people become involved in it, this law will have an impact that goes beyond its language.”