An important catalyst that helped spur redevelopment in both Rolling Mill Hill and The Gulch was the city’s designation of redevelopment districts.

 

Redevelopment districts are designated neighborhoods in and surrounding the urban core of Nashville. These districts are set atop a base zoning and are more restrictive than the underlying zoning code because they not only include land use controls, but also design controls.

 

The goals of redevelopment districts, according to the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency, are to promote redevelopment that is sustainable from economic, environmental, aesthetic, public safety, and historic preservationist perspectives.

 

The area of Rolling Mill Hill was established as the Rutledge Hill redevelopment district in 1980, and the area of the Gulch was established as the Arts Center redevelopment district in 1998.