Lexington’s horse farms + rolling hills are very Instagrammable. Our landscape helps define our city — that’s why there are organizations to help preserve it.

Today we’re highlighting the Urban Service Boundary + the Sustainable Growth Task Force — two services that help preserve our city’s landscape + identity.

Urban Service Boundary (USB)

Before the time of hashtags + influencers — our city leaders recognized the importance of our landscape.

The USB was created in 1958 to preserve Lexington’s agricultural assets + Bluegrass identity.
The USB is a border that defines where in Fayette County new urban development can occur.
The last significant expansion was 25 years ago in 1996.
In 2017 — the city council narrowly voted 8-7 to not expand the USB.

Land analysis graphic | Photo by Christopher Woodall

The Sustainable Growth Task Force

In 2018, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG) created the Sustainable Growth Task Force. The group utilizes data + research to inform us of best practices for responsible growth.

Since its inception — the task force has made 3 big accomplishments that are key for you to know —

They’ve compiled data on how many vacant acres we have left for residential, commercial + industrial properties. They’ve also projected how much space we will need in the next 20 years.
They’ve developed 3 scenarios for how we could possibly develop our land to best serve our community.
They’ve evaluated the results of each scenario compared to the goals + objectives of the city’s 2018 Comprehensive Plan.

The task force does not make recommendations on boundary expansion. Their research + data helps to guide the conversation on Lexington’s growth trajectory.

"How we grow" is a complicated question — one that requires extensive community input to be answered correctly.
The next public input opportunity will be at the Planning Commission Meeting on Thurs., Oct. 28 at 1:30 p.m.