Planning & Zoning

The City of Emporia has established and maintained public improvements that support a full-service community. Successful industrial recruitment, the passage of local sales tax elections for business development, and the maintenance of urban infrastructure-these and many more efforts have helped build Emporia as a regional urban center. The city faces the opportunity to build on those strengths as it plans for future growth.

The city must update and utilize land use regulations to ensure compatible and appropriate infill development within longstanding commercial corridors, such as the Downtown and the Sixth Avenue districts. Ensuring that appropriate development design and intensities are provided along the commercial corridors is a critical aspect of public partnership with the private sector.

Emporia's Planning and Zoning department upholds these transitions and regulations. With a growing population, need for commercial and industrial projects, the department is right at the core of enforcing usage regulations that ultimately allows for Emporia to maintain its strong position for being a regional urban center for the state of Kansas.

The City of Emporia is in the process of drafting and adopting a new set of Zoning Regulations which would include new Subdivision Regulations as well as adopting a new Official Zoning Map known as the Regulating Plan. 

A copy of the proposed regulations can be found by following the link below.  The Planning Commission will welcome public comments at a Public Hearing to be held on May 23, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. in the WLW Civic Auditorium - Little Theater. 

Proposed Zoning Regulations Public Hearing Draft 5 23 23 (PDF)