A proposed ordinance currently being considered by the Metro Council could eliminate parking mandates for bars and nightclubs across Nashville.
Six councilmembers are sponsoring legislation that would remove the current parking requirement — one space per 75 square feet — at bars and nightclubs in Davidson County.
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The ordinance’s lead sponsor, District 14 Councilmember Jordan Huffman, says the requirements are outdated and eliminating them will prompt more pedestrian-friendly developments.
“This is a very small step in the right direction with this,” Huffman tells Scene sister publication the Nashville Post. “The big thing with this particular proposed ordinance is it eliminates the minimum parking requirements for bars and nightclubs, but it does so in a way that encourages more flexible and walkable development.”
He noted growth in his district — which includes much of Hermitage — could benefit from the elimination of parking mandates as Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s "Choose How You Move" transit initiative continues to ramp up.
Huffman adds that the current parking requirements can create “unneeded barriers” for small businesses that might lack the space. He says removing the requirements could also potentially reduce drunk and impaired driving. Davidson County saw 574 DUI arrests in the first quarter of 2025, according to data from Metro’s Criminal Justice Planning division.
Huffman notes that the legislation does not take away parking availability from local businesses. Instead it gets rid of only the current requirement.
“It’s a good step towards a city that would be more multimodal,” Huffman says. “The effects could be massive for Davidson County.”
The ordinance passed on first reading on May 20 and will come before council for a second reading and public hearing on Aug. 5 and a final reading later that month.
This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post.
