Learn How Tennessee's New Center for Local Planning Can Assist Your Entity

Written by Elisha Hodge, Director of Member and Legal Services at PEP

Have you heard about the new resource available at the University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service (IPS)? In 2025, the Tennessee General Assembly, recognizing the increasing need for planning and land use assistance for local governments, funded the Center for Local Planning (CLP) within IPS. The IPS website includes the following about the agency:

"A statewide local planning unit will promote greater consistency in planning across the state and provide a more economical service to rural communities, resulting in overall taxpayer savings. The agency will provide further technical assistance, training, and coordination in partnership and cooperation with Tennessee’s nine regional Development Districts... This unit is not expected to replace or compete with Tennessee’s regional development districts but will provide additional resources and expertise across the state to cities and counties currently unserved or underserved. It will also provide long-range smart growth planning expertise not currently provided by development districts."

Having hit the ground running, the agency Executive Director, Josh Suddath, has already hired three staff members in each of the grand divisions and plans to hire several others in the coming months. The agency has also released several policy guides on various land use topics in the last few months, and in May, staff hosted a webinar related to new statutory requirements for development-related fees.

"The Center serves as a resource to help communities plan for growth and infrastructure needs, preserve rural character, and comply with requirements established by the Tennessee General Assembly," Suddath said. "The Center for Local Planning will play a pivotal role in working with local communities to ensure that the unique character of our state is preserved as it continues to be the location of choice for people, business and industry from all over the country and world."

With land use claims on the rise, we encourage you and your staff to utilize the expertise of the staff at CLP when making planning and land use decisions. You will find their names and contact information below. Join us for a webinar with Josh Suddath on July 8th to learn more and ask questions. Register here.

Addam McCormick, Senior Division Planner, Middle Tennessee, addam.mccormick@tennessee.edu, (615) 253-1151

Jordan McKenzie, Senior Division Planner, West Tennessee, jordan.mckenzie@tennessee.edu, (901) 810-3129

Ambre Torbett, Senior Division Planner, East Tennessee, ambre.torbett@tennessee.edu, (865) 974-8413

Josh Suddath, Executive Director, josh.suddath@tennessee.edu, (615) 379-3572