Event is now online only for the general public.

This Urban Design Forum is Part 1 of the Guiding Principles Series

The Civic Design Center will be showcasing our new Guiding Principles for Civic Design with 4 events focusing on the 4 pillars: Representation, Foundation, Preservation, and Expansion.

Representation: A community cannot exist without people and their unique perspectives. Therefore, the most basic principle in planning and design must encompass the representation of those identities.

Each event will have a panel of 3 speakers who will explore the 3 Principles within their pillar. They will use their own perspective and professional experience to provide precedents in Nashville and beyond that we can look towards as a positive example for city planning. The Design Center will moderate the panel, but all of the events are intended to precede more in-depth discussion between attendees and panelists over drinks. It is a great opportunity to network with like-minded peers and community advocates while also making strides for the implementation of the Principles within our corner of the world.

Become a member to attend the full series for free!

Meet the Panelists

Edward Henley III, Pillars Development

Edward Henley III, the founding principle of Pillars Development and the current chair of ULI Nash, has over a decade of real estate development and construction management experience. This has positioned him well for Nashville's continuing boom in the real estate and construction industry with expertise in ​owners' representation, project management, planning and consulting as well as a passion for Community Engagement. Edward is prolific in his civil service not only sitting on multiple local boards—which includes the Civic Design Center—as well as serving the city's interest as an appointed committee member for multiple Mayor initiatives. Edward is extremely dedicated to bringing the benefits of economic development to urban communities with smaller scale mixed use development and affordable housing as a way to combat the negative effects of disinvestment, as well as gentrification.

Lauren Fitzgerald, J.U.M.P. Nashville

Lauren Fitzgerald (she, her, they, love) is a cis-gendered Black womxn from the south. She is a wearer of many hats; aunt, daughter, sister, friend, theatre artist, Finer Woman, Director of Creative Strategy for Strategize 619, Managing Director for the Intercultural Leadership Institute, and the Executive Director for the Jefferson Street United Merchants Partnership (JUMP).

Lauren earned a degree in Theatre and Africana Studies from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Her work passion is at the intersection of culture and social justice. This has led her to work on several cross sector projects that include real estate, workforce development, and research work in the cultural economic sector. Lauren loves seafood, hates bigotry, believes in the color yellow and fights for social and economic justice.

Ashley Bergeron, The Studio 208

Anyone who knows Ashley, knows her passion for connecting people. Since photography has been a passion for Ashley her whole life, she gets to work in her creative passion each day. Ashley delights in meeting people from all walks of life, she gets to learn about them, asks questions, and helps them be comfortable in front of her camera. Her specialties include professional portraits, children and family portraits, and boudoir and pinup photography.

Ashley helps connect business owners, building owners and artists for public art murals. She took the passion of connecting and elevating artists one step further by opening an invite only gallery and art showroom to highlight some of the leading artists in the country. The Studio 208 opened the doors with a first show featuring Ian Ross from San Francisco, celebrating his new mural in the Gulch, part of The Nashville Walls Project. The majority of artists represented by The Studio 208 are locally based.

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What are the Guiding Principles for Civic Design?

What are the Principles all about? What are they prioritizing when it comes to urban planning and design? The Principles all specify a major theme to strive towards when it comes to the growth of our communities. Each Principle also has a set of adaptable goals that outline some concrete actions we recommend for community and design stakeholders. These Principles are based on the Design Center’s original “10 Principles” from the community-based Plan of Nashville. Check out the Principles here and commit to using them as a guide for your work.

Below are the principles that will be discussed for this event:

• Follow planning, design and development processes that are grounded in community involvement.

• Strengthen the unique identities of neighborhoods that reflects their people, history, and culture.

• Integrate diverse expressions of public art into buildings and community spaces.

RSVP for Representation or the Full Series Below