The Downtown Form District implements the following Comprehensive Plan Goals and Objectives:
- Community Form Goals B1; B2; B3; B4
- Community Form Objectives B1.1; B2.1; B2.2; B2.3; B2.4; B2.5; B2.6; B2.7; B2.8; B2.9; B3.1; B3.2, B4.1; B4.2; B4.3
The Downtown Form District (DFD) is intended to promote the development and redevelopment of the downtown area in a manner consistent and compatible with the unique and diverse design elements of Louisville’s downtown. It will create a downtown with a compact, walkable core and a lively and active pedestrian environment that fosters and increases the number of people walking and to ensure a more humane downtown environment. DFD design standards are also intended to promote the downtown as a unique and active destination with a variety of land uses, including residential uses, designed in context with the area in which they are located.
| Street Wall – “A vertical plane at the right-of-way line created by the façade of a structure or series of structures along a given block face.” |
Dimensional standards have been established to ensure that buildings are of an appropriate mass and scale that provides continuity to their surroundings, allow for adequate penetration of sunlight and air, and relate well to the pedestrian environment.
- Minimum Lot Size, Depth, and Width – There are no minimum lot size, depth, and width requirements in the Downtown Form District except lots developed exclusively for single family detached residential use shall comply with the size and width requirements established in Section 5.2.2, Traditional Neighborhood Form District Design Standards.
- Building Location – A street wall, at least 3 stories in
height, shall be maintained for the length(s) of the lot frontage(s) through
the placement of the principal structure or extension(s) of its
façade(s), such as colonnades.
The building facade may recede from the street wall by as much as 18” to allow for columns or other architectural elements as parts of the street wall. - Building Setbacks – A setback, not to exceed 15 feet measured from the right-of-way, is permitted provided no less than 60% of the street wall is maintained. Recesses on the ground floor to accommodate entry ways, display windows, planters, or similar features shall not be considered as setbacks provided the upper stories have been built to the street wall.
- When new construction creates structures with adjoining
setbacks, the structures will be considered as one building in calculating the
60% street wall minimum. (see Illustration below.)
At Least 60% of the Street Wall Must be Maintained. - Multiple Structure Lots and New Block Face Developments – A street wall shall be maintained along the entire lot frontage through the placement of one or more structures. Where new development extends along the entire block face between two primary streets, except in Special Districts, the new street wall may be established at a setback from the right-of-way line not to exceed 10 feet or a maximum sidewalk width of 20 feet, whichever is less, provided (a) the street wall setback is uniformly maintained along the entire block frontage through the placement of one or more structures and (b) the sidewalk extends to the street wall.
- Except as provided above for new block face developments, all corner lots within the Downtown Form District shall maintain a zero foot setback from the street wall for at least 50 feet from the intersection along each street, or the width of the lot, whichever is less.
- Special Districts – A zero-foot building setback shall be maintained for all structures constructed within the Main/Market and Core/Broadway districts.
| Number of Stories |
Minimum Step Back From Street Wall |
| 14 or less | 0 |
| 15-18 | 15' |
| 19-22 | 25' |
| >22 | Additional 10’ added after every 4th floor |
Example: The 32nd floor of a building would have to be set back a minimum of 55’ -- 25’ for the first 22 floors+ 10’ for next 4 floors (23-26) + 10’ for next 4 floors (27-30) + 10’ (floors 31-34) =55’
Building Step Back/Separation
- Step back provisions, except in Special Districts, shall not be applicable to the extent that, as a consequence of such provisions, the maximum possible gross floor area for any floor would be less than 9,000 square feet.
- Multiple structures – Multiple structures located on a single lot shall be designed so the building height of any structure is at least equal to the height of any other structure on the lot located between it and the right-of-way.
- Special Districts –
- A building step back shall be incorporated into all new structures as necessary within the Main/Market District to emphasize the prevailing historic cornice line on that block.
- Reserved (other standards may be developed regulating building heights within other special districts – e.g. Core/Broadway District.)
Building Separation/Openings - In order to maintain sunlight and reduce shadows, to minimize adverse impact to the microclimate, and to encourage appropriate scale and density in the Downtown Form District, buildings over 200 feet or 14 stories proposed on the same block shall be separated from each other by a distance greater than or equal to the right-of-way width of the nearest public street.
The DFD standards shall be applied to the downtown core and surrounding environs within the district, as set forth in Table 5.2.1 below. The standards address the building structures and their relationship to the street with emphasis on the streetscape experience.