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District Updates

During the 5-year update, each district participated in sessions where community members validated priorities, explored how their districts should evolve through Future Land Use mapping, and developed zoning and policy recommendations to make their visions achievable. From Whitehaven to Cordova, Frayser to East Memphis, residents told us what matters most—such as pedestrian safety and commercial revitalization to affordable housing and environmental justice.

The district summaries below capture the priorities, concerns, and opportunities relayed by the residents of each district- laying the foundation for a Memphis 3.0 plan shaped by the people who call these neighborhoods home. This is Memphis 3.0 shaped by Memphis.

(To view a district summary, click the district button below.)

Oakhaven Parkway Village

Cordova Workshops

Overview of the Workshop Series:

The three-part community workshop series was designed to update the Memphis 3.0 Comprehensive Plan for the Cordova district:

Workshop 1 (September 2025): Validated district priorities and identified anchors—key nodes and community places that drive neighborhood identity and activity.

Workshop 2 (October 2025): Focused on updating the Future Land Use (FLU) Map, exploring how places should evolve and where different types of development are most appropriate.

Workshop 3 (October 2025): Translated the priorities and FLU vision into zoning and policy recommendations to make the community’s desired future achievable.

District Wide Priorities:

Improve safe and connected walking, biking, and transit networks along key corridors

Enhance green, attractive, and well-maintained commercial corridors to improve appearance comfort, and economic vitality district wide.

Foster community pride and stronger connections among Cordova neighborhoods through visible city investment and a shared sense of belonging.

District Summary:

The Cordova workshop series revealed several cross-cutting issues affecting the entire district with desires to maintain the high intensity commercial uses of the Germantown Parkway Corridor and the strong desire for pedestrian safety and walkability. Residents called for better sidewalks, pedestrian bridges, and safer crossings throughout multiple corridors while still maintaining vehicle access.

There is a district-wide emphasis on beautification and visual appeal through landscaping, attractive commercial areas, and improved aesthetics; consistent interest in mixed-use development opportunities that create insular, well-connected communities across multiple anchors; and an underlying need to foster community identity, pride, and connection among Cordova's neighborhoods through visible city investment and locally-serving amenities, including more options for youth and seniors.

Core City District Workshops

Overview of the Workshop Series:

The three-part community workshop series was designed to update the Memphis 3.0 Comprehensive Plan for the Core City district:

Workshop 1 (March 2025): Validated district priorities and identified anchors—key nodes and community places that drive neighborhood identity and activity.

Workshop 2 (April 2025): Focused on updating the Future Land Use (FLU) Map, exploring how places should evolve and where different types of development are most appropriate.

Workshop 3 (April 2025): Translated the priorities and FLU vision into zoning and policy recommendations to make the community’s desired future achievable.

District Wide Priorities:

Redevelop vacant and underused commercial properties into residential spaces,
while preserving historic features and ensuring community input.

Improve multimodal connectivity across the district to link neighborhoods and
destinations.

Ensure quality architecture and design that enhance buildings, streets, and the
public realm.

Encourage civic space investments that strengthen economic competitiveness
and improve quality of life.

District Summary:

The community prioritizes redeveloping vacant commercial properties into mixed-use spaces while preserving historic character, ensuring community input, and maintaining quality architecture that reinforces neighborhood scale and historic standards. Improving multimodal connectivity is essential through enhanced pedestrian infrastructure, safer bike lanes, traffic calming measures, restored transit like the Madison Public Trolley, and addressing dangerous traffic conditions around institutions like St. Jude and Crosstown. Strategic civic investments include revitalizing underutilized assets like the fairgrounds coliseum and community centers while strengthening code enforcement for property maintenance and illegal dumping.

The district seeks to balance growth and density in anchor areas like Crosstown, Overton Square, and Cooper-Young with preserving surrounding single-family neighborhood character through affordable housing and contextual infill development. These priorities reflect a vision for accommodating growth and leveraging institutional anchors while protecting historic character, improving walkability, and ensuring development benefits existing residents without displacement.

East District Workshops

Overview of the Workshop Series:

The three-part community workshop series was designed to update the Memphis 3.0 Comprehensive Plan for the East district:

Workshop 1 (April 2025): Validated district priorities and identified anchors—key nodes and community places that drive neighborhood identity and activity.

Workshop 2 (May 2025): Focused on updating the Future Land Use (FLU) Map, exploring how places should evolve and where different types of development are most appropriate.

Workshop 3 (May 2025): Translated the priorities and FLU vision into zoning and policy recommendations to make the community’s desired future achievable.

District Wide Priorities:

Promote safe, connected, and accessible walking and biking infrastructure, with emphasis on
residential, school, and high-traffic areas.

Improve safe and connected infrastructure between neighborhoods and across major barriers.

Strengthen collaboration among residents, neighborhood organizations, and local government to support community decision-making.

Maintain and expand diverse, high-quality housing options that support affordability, homeownership, and neighborhood character.

District Summary:

Across all three workshops, residents consistently emphasized the need for more connected, and walkable neighborhoods, with improving pedestrian and bike access along major corridors like Quince, Ridgeway, Kirby, and Poplar as the most universally shared priority. These mobility concerns were tied to broader desires for improved public realm investments including lighting, medians, greenery, and more welcoming streetscapes.

Residents supported reinvesting in aging commercial corridors and underused properties with community-serving retail, experiential destinations, and walkable mixed-use environments—especially at Poplar & Ridgeway, Poplar & Mendenhall, and along Quince— while ensuring new development fits the scale and identity of surrounding neighborhoods.

Frayser District Workshops

Overview of the Workshop Series:

The three-part community workshop series was designed to update the Memphis 3.0 Comprehensive Plan for the Frayser district:

Workshop 1 (June 2025): Validated district priorities and identified anchors—key nodes and community places that drive neighborhood identity and activity.

Workshop 2 (June 2025): Focused on updating the Future Land Use (FLU) Map, exploring how places should evolve and where different types of development are most appropriate.

Workshop 3 (July 2025): Translated the priorities and FLU vision into zoning and policy recommendations to make the community’s desired future achievable.

District Wide Priorities:

Promote affordable, quality single and multi-unit development while expanding
homeownership opportunities

Combat blight and vacancy with stronger code enforcement, infill development,
and anti-dumping initiatives

Increase opportunities for high-quality commercial, retail, and restaurant options.

Improve pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure while expanding multi-modal transportation options.

District Summary:

The community prioritizes combating pervasive blight and vacancy through stronger code enforcement, strategic infill development that respects neighborhood character, and anti-dumping initiative. While seeking affordable housing development that expands homeownership and reduces investor-driven rental imbalances. Residents emphasize increasing high-quality commercial, retail, and restaurant options like family-centric entertainment venues, sit-down restaurants, and essential services to replace convenience stores, car lots, and gas stations. Alongside improving pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure through safer crosswalks, bike lanes, traffic calming measures, and enhanced walkability despite the area’s auto-oriented character.

These interconnected priorities reflect a community seeking to break cycles of disinvest-ment and crime while building a more walkable, economically vibrant neighborhood. While also strengthened identity through revitalizing Northgate Shopping Center as the primary commercial destination for Frayser.

Jackson District Workshops

Overview of the Workshop Series:

The three-part community workshop series was designed to update the Memphis 3.0 Comprehensive Plan for the Jackson district:

Workshop 1 (August 2024): Validated district priorities and identified anchors—key nodes and community places that drive neighborhood identity and activity.

Workshop 2 (August 2024): Focused on updating the Future Land Use (FLU) Map, exploring how places should evolve and where different types of development are most appropriate.

Workshop 3 (September 2024): Translated the priorities and FLU vision into zoning and policy recommendations to make the community’s desired future achievable.

District Wide Priorities:

Expand access to green spaces and community gardens by repurposing vacant parcels and developing greenways, particularly in the southeastern part of the district.

Enhance pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure, with focus on school safety, ADA accessibility, and traffic calming.

Offer incentives for small businesses to fill vacant properties and diversify commercial options.

Implement urban design standards through code enforcement and beautification, including public art and landscaping.

District Summary:

The community prioritizes pedestrian safety through crosswalks, and better lighting while combating blight through code enforcement, addressing illegal dumping, and implementing urban design standards with public art and landscaping. Residents emphasize food access by addressing food deserts, through farmer’s markets, to support economic development through small business incentives and the revitalization of corridors like Jackson Avenue. The community desires expanded parks, community gardens, greenways, youth programming, and housing that allows diverse housing options near walkable anchors. Infrastructure needs include creative transportation solutions, strengthened community centers like Gaisman, and preserved public facilities including schools and libraries.

All priorities reflect a vision for equitable investment, cultural identity through public art and community events, and walkable neighborhoods with diverse commercial options that break cycles of disinvestment.

These interconnected priorities reflect a community seeking to break cycles of disinvestment and crime while building a more walkable, economically vibrant neighborhood. While also strengthened identity through revitalizing Northgate Shopping Center as the primary commercial destination for Frayser.

Lamar District Workshops

Overview of the Workshop Series:

The three-part community workshop series was designed to update the Memphis 3.0 Comprehensive Plan for the Lamar district:

Workshop 1 (August 2024): Validated district priorities and identified anchors—key nodes and community places that drive neighborhood identity and activity.

Workshop 2 (September 2024): Focused on updating the Future Land Use (FLU) Map, exploring how places should evolve and where different types of development are most appropriate.

Workshop 3 (October 2024): Translated the priorities and FLU vision into zoning and policy recommendations to make the community’s desired future achievable.

District Wide Priorities:

Strategically address large-scale vacancy and blight through redevelopment, while preserving and
reusing culturally significant buildings.

Improve pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure to expand accessibility and support multi-modal options.

Promote urban design standards in commercial spaces.

Promote sustainable, healthy food options when planning new multiunit development.

District Summary:

The community prioritizes pedestrian safety, combating blight through code enforcement and urban design standard. While also prioritizing addressing food deserts through fresh food retail and farmer’s markets while supporting economic development via small business incentives. Residents desire expanded parks, greenways, youth programming, and housing that maintains single-family character while allow diverse options near walkable anchors, alongside strengthened community centers and preserved public facilities.

North District Workshops

Overview of the Workshop Series:

The three-part community workshop series was designed to update the Memphis 3.0 Comprehensive Plan for the North district:

Workshop 1 (November 2024): Validated district priorities and identified anchors—key nodes and community places that drive neighborhood identity and activity.

Workshop 2 (November 2024): Focused on updating the Future Land Use (FLU) Map, exploring how places should evolve and where different types of development are most appropriate.

Workshop 3 (December 2024): Translated the priorities and FLU vision into zoning and policy recommendations to make the community’s desired future achievable.

District Wide Priorities:

Increase access to fresh and healthy foods through community-driven solutions and assembling land for agricultural uses.

Enhance transportation options by improving pedestrian and bicyclist infrastructure and expanding multimodal connections to meet community needs.

Address environmental and infrastructure challenges through brownfield cleanup, stormwater improvements, and flood prevention.

Reduce blight and vacancy by curbing illegal dumping and assembling land for infill and open spaces.

District Summary:

The North district prioritized environmental justice through brownfield cleanup and pollution reduction, food desert elimination with community-driven fresh food access, blight and illegal dumping remediation with strategic infill development, and affordable housing while preventing gentrification-driven displacement.

Residents emphasized enhanced multimodal transportation and connectivity between anchors, public safety improvements addressing crime and lighting concerns, restoration of lost community services including afterschool and mental health programs, and cultural identity preservation with historic recognition. Priorities also included neighborhood revitalization through local business support and beautification infrastructure improvements for stormwater and flood management.

Oakhaven & Parkway Village District Workshops

Overview of the Workshop Series:

The three-part community workshop series was designed to update the Memphis 3.0 Comprehensive Plan for the Oakhaven & Parkway Village district:

Workshop 1 (August 2025): Validated district priorities and identified anchors—key nodes and community places that drive neighborhood identity and activity.

Workshop 2 (August 2025): Focused on updating the Future Land Use (FLU) Map, exploring how places should evolve and where different types of development are most appropriate.

Workshop 3 (September 2025): Translated the priorities and FLU vision into zoning and policy recommendations to make the community’s desired future achievable.

District Wide Priorities:

Address blight and vacancy in residential areas by improving properties and enhancing open spaces.

Promote infill development and new business activity in commercial areas by activating vacant
and underused sites.

Strengthen timely and consistent code enforcement to ensure issues are addressed effectively.

District Summary:

Residents expressed concerns about transportation and mobility, emphasizing the need to improve pedestrian safety in areas where heavy commercial activity creates dangerous intersections and calling for strategies to reduce traffic volumes in high-intensity corridors where congestion limits accessibility and quality of life. However, maintaining some degree of suburban character was important across decent portions of Oakhaven & Parkway Village.

Residents raised questions about what realistically can change within their neighborhoods, particularly around the challenge of creating and sustaining social connections, which were closely tied to concerns about how leaders and the City communicates with community members.

Raleigh District Workshops

Overview of the Workshop Series:

The three-part community workshop series was designed to update the Memphis 3.0 Comprehensive Plan for the Raleigh district:

Workshop 1 (August 2024): Validated district priorities and identified anchors—key nodes and community places that drive neighborhood identity and activity.

Workshop 2 (August 2024): Focused on updating the Future Land Use (FLU) Map, exploring how places should evolve and where different types of development are most appropriate.

Workshop 3 (September 2024): Translated the priorities and FLU vision into zoning and policy recommendations to make the community’s desired future achievable.

District Wide Priorities:

Strengthen multi-modal access to community anchors and schools through side street and pedestrian connections.

Support local entrepreneurs and attract community focused businesses to increase commercial variety and viability.

Reduce “pop-up” commercial sites by designating areas for food trucks, festivals, land local markets.

Strengthen commercial districts by allowing greater density near neighborhood serving commercial through multi-unit and mixed-use development.

Enhance the diversity of housing types to attract younger generations and retain them in the community.

District Summary:

The district consistently emphasizes improving walkability and pedestrian safety through enhanced sidewalks, crosswalks, lighting, traffic calming measures, and safer intersections, while promoting mixed-use development that integrates housing, retail, and employment with neighborhood-serving businesses over fast food and low-quality retail. Residents prioritize connectivity and multi-modal access to improve links between community anchors, schools, and neighborhoods through enhanced pedestrian, biking, and public transit infrastructure that reduces auto-dependency.

The community seeks to balance honoring Raleigh’s historic identity, particularly Old Raleigh and its connection to the Wolf River, with supporting appropriate redevelopment and activation through murals and design guidelines. A comprehensive approach to safety and blight mitigation includes improved lighting, traffic management, environmental improvements, and tackling vacant properties and illegal dumping, while expanding housing diversity near commercial corridors to serve seniors, youth, and diverse populations. Critical needs include improved access to grocers, healthcare, youth programs, and community centers that provide essential services and activate neighborhood spaces throughout the district.

South District Workshops

Overview of the Workshop Series:

The three-part community workshop series was designed to update the Memphis 3.0 Comprehensive Plan for the South district:

Workshop 1 (August 2024): Validated district priorities and identified anchors—key nodes and community places that drive neighborhood identity and activity.

Workshop 2 (August 2024): Focused on updating the Future Land Use (FLU) Map, exploring how places should evolve and where different types of development are most appropriate.

Workshop 3 (September 2024): Translated the priorities and FLU vision into zoning and policy recommendations to make the community’s desired future achievable.

District Wide Priorities:

Address blight through mixed-use redevelopment, community gardens, open space, and landowner accountability.

Enhance accessibility with multi-modal transportation, including safe sidewalks, ADA compliance, cycling paths, and transit.

Strengthen equitable code enforcement around commercial centers and civic assets, addressing dumping sites, street cleaning, and private property violations.

Remediate environmental impacts of industrial uses, including brownfields and sterilization sites, to protect public health.

District Summary:

Southeast District Workshops

Overview of the Workshop Series:

The three-part community workshop series was designed to update the Memphis 3.0 Comprehensive Plan for the Southeast district:

Workshop 1 (August 2025): Validated district priorities and identified anchors—key nodes and community places that drive neighborhood identity and activity.

Workshop 2 (September 2025): Focused on updating the Future Land Use (FLU) Map, exploring how places should evolve and where different types of development are most appropriate.

Workshop 3 (October 2025): Translated the priorities and FLU vision into zoning and policy recommendations to make the community’s desired future achievable.

District Wide Priorities:

Incentivize local businesses and thriving-wage jobs by supporting workforce development and attracting employers in key sectors such as healthcare.

Strengthen code enforcement to reduce blight, hold negligent landlords accountable, and support residents who need assistance.

Enhance street safety through traffic calming measures and expanded transit services.

Restructure and maintain buildings and parking areas to improve safety, aesthetics, and economic vitality.

District Summary:

Across all workshops, the most consistently repeated concern was the urgent need to rein-vest in under-performing commercial corridors, particularly Hickory Ridge Mall, Kirby & Winchester, and the broader Winchester corridor. These areas suffer from pervasive blight, vacant properties, overconcentration of low-quality retail, and lack of grocery stores and family-friendly amenities, and should become vibrant, mixed-use, community-serving destinations.

The second most frequent theme was deeply rooted concern about traffic conditions with speeding and drag racing, inadequate lighting, illegal dumping, poor maintenance, and unsafe pedestrian conditions. Residents consistently raised the need for more effective, proactive code enforcement on absentee or out-of-state landlords. These themes reflect a broad desire consistent enforcement, accountability that stabilizes neighborhoods and commercial districts, and transformation of declining corridors into destinations that reverse disinvestment.

University District Workshops

Overview of the Workshop Series:

The three-part community workshop series was designed to update the Memphis 3.0 Comprehensive Plan for the University district:

Workshop 1 (August 2024): Validated district priorities and identified anchors—key nodes and community places that drive neighborhood identity and activity.

Workshop 2 (August 2024): Focused on updating the Future Land Use (FLU) Map, exploring how places should evolve and where different types of development are most appropriate.

Workshop 3 (September 2024): Translated the priorities and FLU vision into zoning and policy recommendations to make the community’s desired future achievable.

District Wide Priorities:

Preserve and enhance the unique character of neighborhoods by protecting cultural,
historic, and architectural assets

Enhance pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure to improve safety, accessibility, and
connectivity, supporting a diverse range of multi-modal transportation options.

Encourage investment and incentivize re-use strategies to address vacancy and concentrations of blight.

Provide incentives for the revitalization of distressed commercial centers, focusing on targeted investment and strategic development.

District Summary:

The community prioritizes redeveloping vacant and underused commercial properties into mixed-use spaces while preserving historic features and architectural character. Residents emphasize quality architecture and design that maintains neighborhood scale, controlling building heights, and reinforcing historic standards to prevent character loss in established areas.

Strategic civic space investments are encouraged to strengthen economic competitiveness and quality of life. Strengthening code enforcement for property maintenance, trash pickup, and illegal dumping is essential while focusing on caring for existing properties. These interconnected priorities reflect a district seeking to accommodate growth and leverage institutional anchors.

Westwood District Workshops

Overview of the Workshop Series:

The three-part community workshop series was designed to update the Memphis 3.0 Comprehensive Plan for the Westwood district:

Workshop 1 (June 2025): Validated district priorities and identified anchors—key nodes and community places that drive neighborhood identity and activity.

Workshop 2 (June 2025): Focused on updating the Future Land Use (FLU) Map, exploring how places should evolve and where different types of development are most appropriate.

Workshop 3 (July 2025): Translated the priorities and FLU vision into zoning and policy recommendations to make the community’s desired future achievable.

District Wide Priorities:

Advance environmental justice through pollution reduction, green infrastructure, local jobs, and expanded parks.

Address blight and vacancy by supporting local ownership, preventing dumping, and promoting community-led development.

Improve transit access and pedestrian infrastructure with focus on safety, connectivity, and amenities such as shelters.

Address persistent flooding and stormwater issues with clear solutions and environmental
attention.

Strengthen commercial code enforcement through consistent monitoring, community engagement, and accountability.

District Summary:

The Westwood community prioritizes environmental justice through addressing pollution and water contamination, managing flooding in areas like Tuton Cove, and protecting green spaces including T.O. Fuller State Park. Residents emphasize affordable housing with local ownership over outside investors, and anti-displacement protections to help residents maintain inherited properties. Code enforcement is critical for holding landlords accountable, preventing illegal dumping notably along McCain Rd and Western Park Dr., managing trash pickup, and reducing blight through vacancy registries. Commercial development goals include attracting essential services like grocery stores, sit-down restaurants, coffee shops, and banks, with the goal of creating a hub of commercial and community services on Third and Raines.

The community is in need of improved public transit with a new bus station at Third and Raines. access throughout the district including Boxtown, protected pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure, and solutions for safety hazards like “Dead Man’s Curve” at Western Park. Residents desire expanded parks and recreation including libraries, skate parks, community gardens, farmers’ markets, performing arts venues, and investment in Westwood Community Center. Underlying priorities include gateway improvements at district entrances, reactivating significant places like Crystal Palace, creating walkable mainstreet nodes along Third Street, and expanding family and youth services with creative programming to support community.

Whitehaven District Workshops

Overview of the Workshop Series:

The three-part community workshop series was designed to update the Memphis 3.0 Comprehensive Plan for the Whitehaven district:

Workshop 1 (February 2025): Validated district priorities and identified anchors—key nodes and community places that drive neighborhood identity and activity.

Workshop 2 (February 2025): Focused on updating the Future Land Use (FLU) Map, exploring how places should evolve and where different types of development are most appropriate.

Workshop 3 (March 2025): Translated the priorities and FLU vision into zoning and policy recommendations to make the community’s desired future achievable.

District Wide Priorities:

Reduce blight in multiunit and major structures while promoting affordable housing and
homeownership.

Improve streets, sidewalks, lighting, and pedestrian infrastructure to create a safer, more walkable community.

Attract and support high-quality local businesses, restaurants, and retail to boost local spending and vibrancy.

Expand parks and recreation access while addressing food deserts and related community needs.

Strengthen community identity and engagement through cultural events, youth programs, tourism, and community spaces.

District Summary:

The Whitehaven community prioritizes economic revitalization through transforming underperforming commercial areas– like Southland Mall and the Elvis Presley corridor, supporting local and Black-owned businesses, and attracting quality mixed-use development with diverse dining options beyond drive-thrus. Residents seek improvements to the physical environment including reduce blight with active code enforcement, improve streets and sidewalks, enhance lighting and pedestrian safety, eliminate illegal dumping, and add green spaces. Housing priorities include increasing affordable homeownership opportunities while maintaining single-family residential character and addressing multifamily vacancies.

The community desires expanded mental health services, increased food access, and improved parks and recreation facilities. Underlying all priorities is a strong emphasis on civic engagement, giving residents meaningful voice in development decisions, and strengthening community identity through cultural events and youth programs while leveraging major anchors like Graceland, Southwest Tennessee Community College, and Methodist South Hospital to drive neighborhood connectivity and economic growth.

Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning & Development

Comprehensive Planning Division

125 N Main Street, Ste 468

info@memphis3point0.com

901-636-6601