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Unified Development Ordinance

The Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) is the compilation of regulations that govern land use, which includes the Zoning Ordinance, the Environmental Ordinance and the Subdivision Ordinance/Regulations. The purpose of these regulations is as follows:

To promote the public health, safety and general welfare by regulating the subdivision, development and use of land;
To prevent the overcrowding of land;
To lessen congestion in the streets and highways;
To provide adequate light, air, water supply, sewage disposal, parks and recreation areas, ingress and egress, and other public improvements;
To require development in harmony with the natural environment;
To promote preservation of open space;
To promote development approaches that minimize costs to local citizens and that promote the effective and efficient provision of public services;
To protect the rights of property owners;
To require uniform requirements of land subdivisions and transferring interests in real property by reference to a plat or certificate of survey; secure safety from fire, panic and other dangers;
To avoid undue concentration of population;
To facilitate the adequate provision of transportation, water, sewerage, schools and other public requirements;
To give reasonable consideration in the review of development proposals to the character of the district and its peculiar suitability for particular uses;
To conserve the value of buildings; and to encourage the most appropriate use of land.

To view the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) for Columbus, Georgia, click the "Development Ordinance" button below.

Unified Development Ordinance Button

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For easy access, we have downloaded each chapter of the UDO. The following chapters were revised on August 13, 2010, so please contact the Planning Department for verification at 706-653-4116.

Document	Download
Chapter 1 General Provisions	Download Analysis Button
Chapter 2 Zoning Districts	Download Supportive Maps Button
Chapter 3 Use Regulations and Standards	Download Supportive Maps Button
Chapter 4 General Development Standards	Download Supportive Maps Button
Chapter 5 Environmental Protection	Download Supportive Maps Button
Chapter 6 Resource Conservation	Download Supportive Maps Button
Chapter 7 Project Design Standards	Download Supportive Maps Button
Chapter 8 Land Development Activities	Download Supportive Maps Button
Chapter 9 Development Review Bodies	Download Supportive Maps Button
Chapter 10 Development Review Procedures and Permits	Download Supportive Maps Button
Chapter 11 Nonconformities	Download Supportive Maps Button
Chapter 12 Administration and Enforcement	Download Supportive Maps Button
Chapter 13 Definitions	Download Supportive Maps Button