Franklin has planned for where to grow, how to grow, and how to accommodate the growth with effective infrastructure and services.

Franklin’s Approach — Franklin’s growth is anchored in three key themes:

• Planning
• Preservation
• Fiscal Responsibility

Today’s Franklin is the result of deliberate, smart growth aimed at making it America’s finest hometown. Our City has grown at a consistent level since the mid-1980s — a rate of approximately 20,000 people per decade. 

For nearly 50 years, Franklin has planned for long-term, sustainable, and fiscally responsible growth in land uses and development, water, sewer, transportation, and other city services. That is why we are a desirable, sought-after community. See the most recent versions of the City’s long-range plans below.

• Williamson County Growth Plan (2024) — The Williamson County Growth Plan is a joint planning effort of the County and the six municipalities within it. The Plan establishes the municipal Urban Growth Boundaries (UGBs), the county Planned Growth Areas (PGAs), and designated rural areas. https://www.williamsoncounty-tn.gov/2082/Growth-Plan-Update
• Envision Franklin (2024) — Envision Franklin articulates the long-term vision that will direct future development in a way that strengthens the City and creates exceptional places for people. The Plan provides guidance for land use decisions, managing the quality of development, timing and location of future growth, and directing investment and development activity. https://www.franklintn.gov/government/departments-k-z/planning-and-sustainability/plans-regulations/envision-franklin
• Connect Franklin: A Comprehensive Transportation Network Plan (2022) — Connect Franklin provides a responsible guide for maintaining and improving the current transportation system and identifies priority transportation investments. https://www.franklintn.gov/government/departments-a-j/engineering/transportation
• Integrated Water Resources Plan (2012) — The plan provides the City of Franklin a “road map” for making investments to improve water resources with a focus on sustainability and consideration of regional goals and partnerships. https://www.franklintn.gov/government/departments-k-z/water-management-department/integrated-water-resources-planning
• Franklin Parks and Recreation Master Plan (2015) [Note: Will be 2026 once the new update is approved] — The Parks and Recreation Master Plan was created to meet the needs of a growing population and places a priority on completing existing parks, implementation of a greenway and trails program to provide connectivity across the city, opportunities to expand the Historic Park land, and providing new and updated parks to meet unmet demand and improve operational efficiencies. https://www.franklintn.gov/government/departments-k-z/parks/forms-and-documents
• Cool Spring Transportation Network Study (2021) — The Study provides the City of Franklin with a coordinated plan of transportation improvements to be made as development occurs in the Cool Springs area. These improvements will improve safety of all roadway users, improve traffic flow, and preserve roadway capacity. https://www.franklintn.gov/government/departments-a-j/engineering/transportation