This Urban Design Forum+ is presented by Vanderbilt University and HASTINGS Architecture
In terms of travel modes in Nashville, driving a car is still at the top of the hierarchy for many reasons. Our transit system’s current capabilities are not desirable or efficient enough for people who can choose to drive their car. However, this is slated for change if Nashville chooses to vote for dedicated funding this November. If the referendum passes, Transit Centers will be popping up across the city creating neighborhood-based hubs for connections to all travel modes—bus transfers, parking, rideshare, bikeshare, and a comfortable pedestrian experience.
How do we make sure transit centers become places for complete communities? This is where Transit-Oriented Placemaking comes in. We still have a long way to go on improving the desirability of transit beyond efficiency and reliability. The more our Transit Centers represent the surrounding communities, the more that transit will feel welcoming and exciting to use. From art to pop-up activations and events, we can create a “place” where typically someone might just pass through.
During this Urban Design Forum+ we will hear a discussion between our Design Director, Eric Hoke, local muralist and organizer of Norf Wall Fest, Woke3, and MARTA’s Director of Transit-Oriented Development, soon-to-be WeGo’s Deputy CEO of Growth and Development, Debbie Frank. Learn from case studies both locally and regionally that will inspire the future of “T.O.P.” in Davidson County.
RSVP below.
Agenda
5:00 pm: Doors open for mingling and viewing UT Knoxville Urban Design Studio projects in the lobby
5:30 pm: Program Begins
7:00 pm: Reception with Complimentary Beverages to Follow
Meet the Panelists
Debbie Frank
Deputy CEO of Growth and Development, WeGo Transit
Debbie Frank is a real estate development and urban planning expert with over 30 years of success spearheading planning, development, and redevelopment initiatives for local government agencies, nonprofit and for-profit organizations in Alabama, Ohio, Tennessee, and Georgia. Debbie is soon to be coming back to Nashville to work for WeGo and leaving her role as Director of Transit-Oriented Development at the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) in Atlanta, GA, where she managed the planning, implementation, and assets of the transit-oriented development program for the Authority. Since 2016 and under her leadership she has managed the completion of four (4) transit-oriented developments for MARTA, creating 1200 apartment units and 150,000 sf of office/retail space. These projects totaled a private sector investment of $300M for Metro Atlanta.
Prior to joining MARTA, Debbie served as managing partner of Urban Blueprint, a real estate development and consulting firm in Nashville, Tennessee with a primary focus on mixed-use development in emerging markets. She served as the owner’s representative project manager for the Music City Center, a 2.1 million square feet convention center. Debbie also served as the executive director of the North Nashville Community Development Corporation to promote the revitalization of the North Nashville community in partnership with Fisk University, Meharry Medical College, Tennessee State University, and the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. As a city planner, she developed land use policies and neighborhood redevelopment plans for Nashville-Davidson County.
Eric Hoke
Design Director, Civic Design Center
Eric joined the Civic Design Center team in 2012. As Director of the Design Studio, Eric has been involved in most of the last decade of projects at the Civic Design Center in some capacity.
Eric was a board member of Transit Now Nashville and served as Vice President, he was part of WeGo Public Transit’s Better Bus Committee, is an alum of the ULI Health Leaders Network, was on Smart Growth America's Complete Streets Leadership Academy Committee, and has represented the Civic Design Center on the Mayor’s Sustainability Advisory Committee, served on the Technical Advisory Committee for Choose How You Move (Nashville’s 2024 Transit Improvement Program), and Connect Mid-TN transit coalition where he continues his passion for sustainability, transportation, advocacy, and design.
Woke3
Muralist and Owner, Norf Wall Fest
Jamal Jenkins, known artistically as Woke3, is a melanated muralist and mixed-media artist from Norf Nashville. Woke3 has a special gift: he has the ability to make people feel connected, appreciated, respected, and completely submerged in his art works. His works are greatly praised by the community for being inclusive, diverse, and having the ability to show how no one thing is greater than another, expressing his heart for a more equitable world for all.
Moderator
Tanisha Hall
Founding Principal and CEO, Fairpointe Planning
Tanisha J. Hall is the Founding Principal & CEO of Fairpointe Planning, a MWDBE-certified management consulting firm focused on community and statewide transportation planning. Tanisha is a dynamic and innovative leader with a strong track record of developing “people-first” strategic plans by engaging diverse stakeholders early in the planning process.
Tanisha leads a dedicated team providing policy, strategic planning, data collection, analysis and visualization tools, and stakeholder, and community engagement services to rural and urban communities through multimodal transportation plans. Tanisha is also a Board Member for the Civic Design Center.