Atlanta City Council Passes Revised Zoning Code, Aiming to Boost Affordable Housing Supply

The Atlanta City Council voted 11-4 on July 8 to adopt a comprehensive rewrite of the city’s zoning code, the first major overhaul since 1982. The new code, called Atlanta City Design Zoning, replaces 86 pages of regulations previously spread across multiple documents, and is projected by city planners to increase the potential supply of affordable housing units by 8,300 over the next decade in designated growth areas.

The council’s action comes as Atlanta’s median rent has risen 22 percent since 2020, to $1,650 per month, according to the Atlanta Regional Commission. Local policy analysts note the zoning overhaul specifically addresses that pressure by legalizing accessory dwelling units, often called granny flats, on single-family lots in many neighborhoods, and by permitting six-story mixed-use buildings without special permits along major transit routes such as MARTA’s Red and Gold lines.

What the Code Changes Mean for Atlanta Residents

For homeowners in intown neighborhoods like Kirkwood, East Atlanta and West End, the code now allows a second dwelling unit on any lot zoned for single-family homes, provided it is no larger than 800 square feet. That change, advocates say, could enable older residents to remain in their homes by renting out a backyard unit for extra income, while also adding rental stock in areas where new apartments have been scarce. For renters near MARTA stations, the code expands by-right construction of apartment buildings up to six stories along the Bankhead, Edgewood and Campbellton Road corridors, areas the city’s comprehensive plan identifies as high-opportunity for transit-oriented growth.

The code also reduces minimum parking requirements for new developments within a half-mile of any MARTA rail station, from two spaces per unit to one. The Transportation Department estimates that change alone will cut per-unit construction costs by $12,000 to $18,000, savings the city says developers are expected to pass through to rents. Opponents of the code, including representatives of the Buckhead Council of Neighborhoods, said during public hearings that reduced parking will create spillover congestion on side streets and could discourage families with multiple cars from moving into the neighborhoods.

Next Steps and Implementation

The new zoning takes effect 30 days after the council’s vote, or approximately Aug. 7, 2026. The city’s Department of City Planning will begin accepting permits under the new code on that date. A separate implementation fund of $1.2 million, approved as part of the fiscal 2027 budget in May, will pay for public outreach sessions and a new online permit portal. The first of six scheduled community workshops is set for Aug. 14 at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center in Sweet Auburn. City officials say they will track affordable housing outcomes through annual reports to the council, with the first report due July 2027.