Lexington's Preservation & Growth Management Program (LP&GMP)

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Cities change. Communities grow. And adapting can be hard!

Lexington's Preservation & Growth Management Program (LP&GMP) is about being proactive and improving how we choose to change and grow by using data to guide our adaptation when the time comes.

What this program does:

  • Uses data to decide when, where, and how Lexington grows
  • Defines a step-by-step process for changing the Urban Service Area (USA)
  • Ensures the community can voice their desires and concerns
  • Holds us more accountable for using the land we already have in our USA to its fullest potential
  • Safeguards the preservation of significant agricultural areas
  • Directs any future growth to the most appropriate locations



Everything You Should Know About Lexington’s Preservation & Growth Management Program

Why do we need this program?

We need a better way to decide how to expand our Urban Service Area. This program establishes a transparent, data-driven process. It means we would use data about how our community grows to get a clear picture of what is changing and where. This way, we can better guide how our community grows. This program will also give us more time and energy to focus on setting goals for change. Goals like building more walkable neighborhoods and developing local businesses.

What do you mean by a data-driven process?

This is different from using personal preferences, feelings, and guessing. When you decide to travel somewhere new, you don’t walk out the door and “feel” which direction you should start walking. You use a map. A data-driven process is like using a map. Specific metrics and reference points help cities and planners determine the best path forward.

What is the Urban Service Area (USA)?

All cities change all the time. When new homes and businesses are built, they must be connected to important services. Services like the sewer system, electrical power grid, and waste collection. An ‘Urban Service Area’ (USA) defines how far and where those important services go. USAs help planners, builders, and community members know where new development can happen. Cities use USAs as a tool to evolve responsibly. USAs help make sure new things don’t get built too far from the services they need.

Didn’t we already decide on expanding the USA?

Yes, new areas were added to the Urban Service Area in 2024. And we have a plan - the Urban Growth Master Plan (2024) - that will guide how those new areas develop. The primary goal of this plan is to provide more housing options for people living here now and for new residents. But other goals, like job creation and sustainable development, are also defined.

What about land we’ve added years before (i.e. other expanded areas besides the new acres added in 2024)? Has all of that land been developed?

No, it has not. Most often, this is because a site is challenging or the property owners are not interested in developing their land. Unused land in the urban service area has been a concern after past expansions. The Preservation & Growth Management Program will make sure we consider all our options including adding, or removing land from the USA. It also looks to see if we can use strategies to develop the land we already have better. Or, do we need some combination of the two approaches.

How does the Preservation & Growth Management Program help us?

The program is about having a data-driven process in place before we have to think about expanding again in future decades. Right now, the Preservation and Growth Management Program is not going to make decisions to expand or not expand the Urban Service Area at this point in time. As proposed, the program would be used for the first time in 2030.

Is Lexington’s Preservation & Growth Management Program the same as zoning?

Lexington's Preservation and Growth Management Program is not the same thing as zoning. In city planning, there are two important terms to understand: land use and zoning. Land use describes the way a piece of property is developed. For example, a piece of property can be used for houses, businesses, factories, or farming. Zoning is the rule book for what can be built where. Cities use zoning to guide land use. Lexington's Preservation & Growth Management Program is not about zoning rules. It has to do with land use. It is a way for us to look at what land we already have and make sure it is actually meeting our needs as a community.

Is the Planning Commission involved? How?

The Urban County Council is coordinating the development of this program. But the Planning Commission will play a large role in any decisions regarding land use within Lexington. They are getting regular updates as we develop this program. They were also involved in the Goal 4 Workgroup and the Sustainability Task Force that happened previously.

Cities change. Communities grow. And adapting can be hard!

Lexington's Preservation & Growth Management Program (LP&GMP) is about being proactive and improving how we choose to change and grow by using data to guide our adaptation when the time comes.

What this program does:

  • Uses data to decide when, where, and how Lexington grows
  • Defines a step-by-step process for changing the Urban Service Area (USA)
  • Ensures the community can voice their desires and concerns
  • Holds us more accountable for using the land we already have in our USA to its fullest potential
  • Safeguards the preservation of significant agricultural areas
  • Directs any future growth to the most appropriate locations



Everything You Should Know About Lexington’s Preservation & Growth Management Program

Why do we need this program?

We need a better way to decide how to expand our Urban Service Area. This program establishes a transparent, data-driven process. It means we would use data about how our community grows to get a clear picture of what is changing and where. This way, we can better guide how our community grows. This program will also give us more time and energy to focus on setting goals for change. Goals like building more walkable neighborhoods and developing local businesses.

What do you mean by a data-driven process?

This is different from using personal preferences, feelings, and guessing. When you decide to travel somewhere new, you don’t walk out the door and “feel” which direction you should start walking. You use a map. A data-driven process is like using a map. Specific metrics and reference points help cities and planners determine the best path forward.

What is the Urban Service Area (USA)?

All cities change all the time. When new homes and businesses are built, they must be connected to important services. Services like the sewer system, electrical power grid, and waste collection. An ‘Urban Service Area’ (USA) defines how far and where those important services go. USAs help planners, builders, and community members know where new development can happen. Cities use USAs as a tool to evolve responsibly. USAs help make sure new things don’t get built too far from the services they need.

Didn’t we already decide on expanding the USA?

Yes, new areas were added to the Urban Service Area in 2024. And we have a plan - the Urban Growth Master Plan (2024) - that will guide how those new areas develop. The primary goal of this plan is to provide more housing options for people living here now and for new residents. But other goals, like job creation and sustainable development, are also defined.

What about land we’ve added years before (i.e. other expanded areas besides the new acres added in 2024)? Has all of that land been developed?

No, it has not. Most often, this is because a site is challenging or the property owners are not interested in developing their land. Unused land in the urban service area has been a concern after past expansions. The Preservation & Growth Management Program will make sure we consider all our options including adding, or removing land from the USA. It also looks to see if we can use strategies to develop the land we already have better. Or, do we need some combination of the two approaches.

How does the Preservation & Growth Management Program help us?

The program is about having a data-driven process in place before we have to think about expanding again in future decades. Right now, the Preservation and Growth Management Program is not going to make decisions to expand or not expand the Urban Service Area at this point in time. As proposed, the program would be used for the first time in 2030.

Is Lexington’s Preservation & Growth Management Program the same as zoning?

Lexington's Preservation and Growth Management Program is not the same thing as zoning. In city planning, there are two important terms to understand: land use and zoning. Land use describes the way a piece of property is developed. For example, a piece of property can be used for houses, businesses, factories, or farming. Zoning is the rule book for what can be built where. Cities use zoning to guide land use. Lexington's Preservation & Growth Management Program is not about zoning rules. It has to do with land use. It is a way for us to look at what land we already have and make sure it is actually meeting our needs as a community.

Is the Planning Commission involved? How?

The Urban County Council is coordinating the development of this program. But the Planning Commission will play a large role in any decisions regarding land use within Lexington. They are getting regular updates as we develop this program. They were also involved in the Goal 4 Workgroup and the Sustainability Task Force that happened previously.

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Page last updated: 09 May 2025, 11:37 PM