This is an Urban Design Forum+ presented by the University of Tennessee Knoxville College of Architecture + Design and Gresham Smith.

We're honored to celebrate the career of Professor TK Davis. Mark your calendars, because you won’t want to miss this.

Agenda:

4:30pm-5:30pm

Exclusive Lecture (Invite Only)

5:30pm-7:30pm

Reception with Toast to TK

7:00pm-7:30pm

Personalized Book Signing

Please RSVP below and for all the latest updates and Design Center sneak peeks make sure to follow us on Instagram.

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.

Join Nashville Public Library New Donelson Branch on Opening Day to hear from members of the Nashville Planning Department and provide attendees with an in-depth understanding of Urban Design Overlays (UDOs) and their significance in shaping urban development. The event aims to educate the audience on the purpose, function, and impact of UDOs, particularly within the context of the Donelson neighborhood.

Speaker Bios

Emily Lange is a planner with the Design Studio of the Metropolitan Nashville Planning Department. Her interests include community engagement and creating equitable, resilient, and inviting public spaces. Emily holds a Master of Urban and Regional Planning with a concentration in Urban Design from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Eric Hammer is a Senior Planner managing the Design Implementation Group of the Metropolitan Nashville Planning Department. He is passionate about creating prosperous communities through promoting compact, walkable neighborhoods, fiscally resilient municipalities, and sustainable new development. Eric holds a Master of Urban Planning degree from the University at Buffalo’s School of Architecture and Planning, specializing in economic development. He also holds a Bachelor of Science from Canisius College, where he majored in economics, political science, marketing, and urban studies.

Sarah Cook is a Senior Planner with the Design Studio in the Metropolitan Planning Department of Nashville. Throughout her career Sarah has had the opportunity to work on a number of multi-modal projects, community, and comprehensive plans and form-based codes. Sarah is pleased to have joined Metro in January where she can continue to live out her passion in creating communities that are thriving, livable, and promote a high quality of life for residents. When not engaging in planning work Sarah loves dance, hiking, watercolor, and exploring new neighborhoods in the Nashville community.

Agenda

• 5:30 pm: Doors Open

• 5:30 - 6:00: Mix and Mingle

• 6:00: Program Begins

  • Intro / Welcome

  • What Is a UDO

  • How Do they work?

  • Examples of Success

  • Donelson UDO

• 6:45 pm: Q + A

• 7:00 pm: Program Concludes

Conversation with the T3 Team + Publication Release Party

Our publication, High Rise Wood, has been years in the making. Designing and building with wood has always been a major part of small-scale development, but when it comes to high rise buildings, steel, concrete, and glass are the primary materials used. Wood as the primary building material for larger developments is a new concept in the 21st century and this is thanks to new technologies that make mass timber a viable option.  

This event celebrates the new release of our High Rise Wood publication, which is a great resource to have on hand for influencing clients on the benefits of Mass Timber design and construction. The publication shares environmental benefits, various types of Mass Timber construction, imaginative visions by design students and several beautiful design precedents locally and globally. This includes the newest Mass Timber construction in Nashville, T3 Wedgewood-Houston, which we will get to experience during this Forum. We will share an overview for those new to Mass Timber, but we welcome a technically-savvy audience to attend and deepen your knowledge on the subject. 

The conversation that includes member of the T3 Team will highlight T3 as a precedent from the development, design, and construction sides of the project. We will have beer and snacks to enjoy over networking, and you will have the chance to take home a publication.  

T3 Wedgewood-Houston Team

• Developer: Hines

• Design Architect: HASTINGS

• Architect of Record: DLR Group

• Construction: Hoar Construction

Learn more about the Finery Campus here.

Last year, we successfully launched the very first permanent parklet in Nashville as part of the new Parklet Permit Program through the Nashville Department of Transportation (NDOT). It was such a success that we felt compelled to continue the Parklet Design Competition as an extension of PARK(ing) Day Nashville.

We are so excited to partner with NDOT again to reclaim more public space in an imaginative way. This wouldn't be possible without our 2024 Construction Partner, Hardaway Construction. Bagelshop has agreed to be our next steward for reclaiming public space, and we couldn’t be more thrilled for the Donelson community.

Join us for a casual gathering with drinks, snacks, and inspiration!

You will also get the information you need to enter:

• Official Competition Guidelines

• Business Owner Requests

We are partnering with EOA Architects and NOMA Nashville to celebrate the Africatown International Design Idea Competition. The Competition highlights the spectacular discovery of Clotilda, a sunken slave ship found in 2019 in the Mobile River Delta, AL, which paved the way for multi-disciplinary design teams to imagine a revived Africatown.

What is Africatown? When Clotilda brought 110 kidnapped West Africans to America in 1860, 32 of the Africans formed and governed their own community in 1865. Their descendants and the community they founded still exist today.

The Competition brief had 16 land and water-edged venues on 4 sites across 3 cities that interpret and honor its history. The venues were destined to constitute a major new cultural heritage tourism destination system called The Africatown Cultural Mile™.

Why Now? In 2021, we held a virtual Urban Design Forum to learn more about the Competition before it officially opened which featured Renee Kemp-Rotan, Professional Competition Advisor to The Africatown International Design Idea Competition.  Renee is our special guest for the evening, and she is responsible for organizing the largest Afrocentric, multi-site design idea competition that the world has ever seen.  She used her broad and world-known urban design skills to program all 4 sites and 14 venues. Now, the winners have been announced—two of which are local Nashville designers, Taylan “Ty” Tekeli as well as the Moody Nolan / Tuskegee University Robert Taylor School of Architecture collaborative team led by Nashville architect Valarie Franklin, AIA, NOMA (Moody Nolan) and Professor Amma Asamoah (Tuskegee University). This Urban Design Forum will celebrate the amazing work of the competition and provide a platform for the local winners to share their submission concepts.

About The Designers:

Renee Kemp-Rotan is internationally regarded urban designer, Kemp-Rotan's works are now included in The African American National Biography, edited by Dr. Henry Louis Gates/Harvard University (WEB Dubose School of Research) and archived in the African American Archives, Oxford University, England.  RKR was nominated by three American Institute of Architects Presidents to serve on the National Diversity and Inclusion Council (Governance Chair). Renee, as a long-standing member of  AIA and NOMA, (National Organization of Minority Architects) was featured in ARCHITECTURE Magazine, in December 2016 and  NOMA Magazine, in Fall 2017. She recently re-ignited StudioRotan, her civic design firm, established in 1988.  As a DC native, Renee attended DC Public Schools, won the  AIA/Ford Foundation Minority Scholarship Award to Syracuse, and since has traveled the world to 33 countries.

Ty Tekeli made the journey from Istanbul to Nashville over six years ago. His background adds a unique perspective to our work, influenced by the rich experiences gained from diverse cultural landscapes. He is dedicated to pushing creative boundaries through participation in design competitions. At Fabl Design, we find joy in embracing challenges as opportunities for growth. We are committed to continuous learning, recognizing that design competitions keep us on the path of improvement within the industry.

Amma Asamoah, a distinguished alumna of Tuskegee University's Robert R. Taylor School of Architecture and Construction Science and Philadelphia University's M.S. Sustainable Design Program, is a prominent figure in architecture and sustainable design. In her role as a tenure-track assistant professor at Tuskegee University, she shapes the future of architects while pursuing a Doctorate of Design at Carnegie Mellon University as a National GEM Consortium fellow.

Valarie Franklin is Associate Principal at Moody Nolan and an alumna of Tuskegee University and brings over 20 years of architectural experience including healthcare, educational, corporate, religious, cultural projects, and institutional architectural design and documentation. The Nashville, Tennessee, native proudly founded the Nashville Chapter of NOMA and serves on the AIA Tennessee Architects Political Action Committee (TAPAC) as the 2020 President of both organizations. Valarie also contributes to her native city of Nashville by serving on the MDHA Design Review Board.

Getting to the event

The Athenaeum at HASTINGS Architecture
225 Polk Ave, Nashville, TN 37203

Transit

Get to the Elizabeth Duff Transit Center at WeGo Central (400 Dr. M.L.K. Jr Blvd, Nashville, TN 37219). Head southwest on Charlotte Ave/Dr. M.L.K. Jr Blvd toward 5th Ave N/Rep. John Lewis Way N, Turn left toward Union St, Turn right onto Union St, Turn left onto Polk Ave, HASTINGS Architecture will be on the right

BCycle

The Closest BCycle station is at TPAC (6th Ave N & Union St)

Parking

2023 was a year for hope. As a mayoral election year in Nashville, it gave us all space to hear campaign ideas, ask for what we want, and vote for who we hoped would carry out our visions.

2024 is the year for action. Together, we are setting resolutions on behalf of our city that we hope to see initiated—or even come to fruition—by the end of the year. During this social event, the Civic Design Center will unveil the top 24 Resolutions for Nashville that were collected from the community and endorsed by our team. We plan to deliver these resolutions to Mayor O'Connell and steward them to their fruition, either through direct action or intentional advocacy. By rsvp'ing to the event, you still have a chance to submit your idea for Nashville.

Instead of typical resolutions like "go to the gym more" or "eat healthier," have you made a resolution for how you can personally make a difference in your community this year? If not, we think networking with like-minded advocates and industry peers at this event will help you discover your personal resolution to improve your community. There will also be activities, like community success stories, postcard-writing, and goal-developing stations to not only inspire your resolution discovery, but also set you up for next steps.

Start your year feeling ready for action.

Your ticket includes refreshments and light bites with a jaw-dropping view from the Peabody Plaza building.

Come see the Plan for Downtown Mobility

Connect Downtown is a joint project of the Nashville Department of Transportation (NDOT), WeGo Public Transit, the Nashville Downtown Partnership, and the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) to improve mobility and address traffic congestion in the downtown core.

This effort identifies projects, programs, and policies to help us better manage Downtown’s increasing congestion and make it easier for people to get around by all modes of transportation. It looks at traffic and curbside management strategies; transit improvements; walking, rolling, and biking projects; and Vision Zero safety strategies. The goal is to support both current and future Nashvillians, planning for growth and ensuring that Nashville remains a great destination.

Join us to learn about the plan, ask questions, and give feedback to inform the final designs.

Join the Civic Design Center in partnership with J.U.M.P. for an Urban Design Forum with Majora Carter to learn about her work in community development projects across the US that have been successful in combating gentrification and displacement issues.

How can we solve the problem of persistent poverty in low-status communities? Majora Carter will discuss how neighborhoods need a talent-retention strategy, just like the ones companies have. Retaining homegrown talent is a critical part of creating a strong local economy that can resist gentrification. But too many people born in low-status communities measure their success by how far away from them they can get.

Carter, who could have been one of them, returned to the South Bronx and devised a development strategy rooted in the conviction that these communities have the resources within themselves to succeed. She advocates measures such as

• Building mixed-income instead of exclusively low-income housing to create a diverse and robust economic ecosystem

• Showing homeowners how to maximize the long-term value of their property so they won't succumb to quick-cash offers from speculators

• Keeping people and dollars in the community by developing vibrant "third spaces"--restaurants, bookstores, and places like Carter's own Boogie Down Grind Cafe

Getting To This Event

WeGo Public Transit

• 12 Min trip from Elizabeth Duff Transit center Via Route #19 (Albion St & 21st Ave N)

• 18 Min trip from Elizabeth Duff Transit center Via Route #29 (Jefferson St & 21st Ave N)

Parking

• Please park at the current Event Parking area at the rooftop level of Lot K, Garage, located at the corner of 21st Avenue and Meharry Boulevard.  At the rooftop level of the Lot K Garage, is an elevator and stairwell that exists to the ground level.  Upon exiting the Garage, to the left, is a short walk heading to the Kresge Learning Resource Center (LRC Building).  At the corner of 21st Avenue and Albion Street, at the crosswalk, up the hill, leads to the entry of the LRC building - See map below.  To avoid vehicle towing at owner’s expense, All parking lots are decal reserved for employees and students, Monday through Friday, 7:00 am to 5:00 pm 

ADA Accommodations

• Please contact eric@civicdesigncenter.org if you need any assistance accessing this event.

This event was made possible with grant support from:

Join us as we take a deeper look into the Donelson neighborhood, its recent growth and how that has impacted the community. As new developments, residents, businesses, and traffic patterns come to the neighborhood, it is important to appreciate what changes have been made that enhance the neighborhood experience, specifically considering how we might advocate for opportunities that can continue to support the Donelson identity.

Together, we will be analyzing the neighborhood using a beta test version of the “Neighborhood Assessment Toolkit,” a neighborhood analysis survey created to think about the assets and opportunities of neighborhoods using good design principles.

At the event, we will hear from Council Member Syracuse about current projects, including the library, new residential developments and more. As Donelson becomes more connected and grows alongside Nashville, we hope to help future developers put community priorities first in their projects.

Note: a portion of this event will be a neighborhood “walk audit,” however, we will also facilitate a virtual audit for anyone that would prefer to stay behind and evaluate the 1/2 mile radius from inside.

RSVP Below!

Help us think outside the box about event styles, speakers, and topics we can host in 2023 related to our priority Principles.

This year, we have been educating our supporters and event attendees about our Guiding Principles for Civic Design that launched in 2021. From a 4-part event series in the Winter to a PARK(ing) Day focus on our newest Housing Principle, design thought leaders have been investigating how Principles across sectors deeply connect. In our Community Insights Survey, we asked supporters what they thought should be our Guiding Principle priorities in the next year. The results demonstrated that Community Involvement, Transportation, and Housing were the community’s most valued Principles.

Agenda

At this event, we are inviting our supporters and stakeholders back together for an interactive workshop. Attendees will explore what types of events and engagement sessions the Civic Design Center can host in 2023 that will deepen the Nashville community’s involvement with creating solutions for our Principle priorities. We imagine this workshop to be engaging, whimsical, and casual!

• Doors Open for Networking: 5:00 pm

• Program + Ideation: 5:30 pm

• Group Discussion: 6:15 pm

• Event End: 7:00 pm

Light drinks and refreshments will be served

RSVP Below

THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT AND AT CAPACITY*

*Masks will be recommended for the indoor presentation

This Urban Design Forum will focus on the Metro Nashville Planning Department's work, including design and engagement efforts since February 2021, which culminated in a community-driven vision document for the new East Bank neighborhoods. We will showcase some of the Civic Design Center's ideas over the last 20 years, including community visioning from The Plan of Nashville, and hear from Anna Grider, Planning Dept Project Lead. Light hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be available to in-person attendees.

Agenda

• 5:30pm: Doors

• 6:00pm: Presentation

  • Intro and past Civic Design Center Projects: Eric Hoke, Design Director, Civic Design Center

  • A Vision for Nashville’s Next Great Neighborhoods: Anna Grider, East Bank Project Lead, Metro Nashville Planning Department

• 6:45pm: Closing Thoughts and Q+A

• 7:00 pm: Opportunity to provide public feedback

This Urban Design Forum is Part 4 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. If you missed the first 3, you can read the recaps for Representation, Foundation, and Preservation on our blog!

Expansion: As a community grows tall and expands wide, we must consider these key principles that focus on increased resources for an increasing population. Affordability, density, connection, and active public space are all critical to an evolving place.

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

Dominque Anderson, Populace Community Strategy

Dominique Anderson is the Founder | CEO of Populace Community Strategy, where she consults on affordable housing, equitable and inclusive community development, and cultural crisis management. A self-professed, “moneymaking hippies,” she is a passionate advocate for social entrepreneurship, youth entrepreneurship, and empowerment and wealth building, within diverse communities.

Dr. Kim Walker, Abundant Life Adventure Club

Dr. Kim Walker is an occupational therapist and co-founder of Abundant Life Adventure Club, a Nashville-based wellness lifestyle company that helps Black professionals and entrepreneurs prioritize wellness through community, outdoor adventures, and group travel to live abundantly. As a wellness expert, her core mission is to revolutionize the way Black people practice self-care. Featured in Essence, Yahoo News, and USA Today, Abundant Life Adventure Club’s transformational nature experiences, retreats, and workshops have inspired many to live a healthy, mindful, and active lifestyle.

Lindsey Ganson, Walk Bike Nashville

Lindsey Ganson joined the staff of Walk Bike Nashville in April 2019 as Director of Advocacy & Communications after serving on the Walk Bike Nashville board. Prior to joining the Walk Bike Nashville staff, Lindsey was an Account Supervisor at MP&F Strategic Communications, where her clients included the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Metro Nashville Planning Department’s Transportation Demand Management program. She also led MP&F’s client team for the multi-year public outreach efforts for nMotion, the 25-year strategic plan of WeGo/the Nashville Metro Transit Authority and the Regional Transportation Authority of Middle Tennessee.

Before moving to Nashville in 2014, she was the Chief Operating Officer of Transportation Alternatives in New York City, where she led grassroots campaigns to improve transportation policies. She also served as chief of staff of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection and as a manager of NYC & Company, New York City’s Convention and Visitors’ Bureau. A Brooklyn native, Lindsey holds a Bachelor's degree from Georgetown University.

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:

• Supply housing options for diverse incomes and lifestyles that complement the neighborhood.

• Expand park and greenway systems to be comprehensive and interconnected.

• Celebrate streets as places that address neighborhood needs and facilitate community interactions.

RSVP for Expansion Below

This Urban Design Forum is Part 3 of the Guiding Principles Series

Missed Parts 1 and 2? Read the Recaps for Representation and Foundation and then RSVP below!

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.

Preservation: Following Foundation, we must always consider Preservation of our natural environment and promotion of good civic design. We must make sure that there are standards in policy and zoning to protect these elements, but those standards must be adaptable if they no longer benefit or represent the community.

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

Mekayle Houghton, Cumberland River Compact

Mekayle Houghton is Executive Director of the Cumberland River Compact - a regional environmental organization that addresses the root causes of water pollution and environmental degradation through action, education, and collaboration. She serves on multiple boards including River Network and the Tennessee Solar Energy Association. She earned a Bachelors and Masters degree from the University of Chicago. She and her husband have four sons and have called Nashville home for 20 years.

Dee Patel, The Hermitage Hotel

Dee Patel is Managing Director of The Hermitage Hotel, running all company facets and spearheading strategic direction of the iconic hotel. Patel was named General Manager in 2014 and then Managing Director in 2019, the first female to serve in both roles in the hotel’s 112-year history. Under her leadership, The Hermitage has garnered numerous accolades, including the designation as a National Historic Landmark, the only hotel in the state to hold this distinction.

José González, Conexión Américas

Jose is one of the co-founders of Conexión Américas, a Nashville-based nonprofit organization dedicated to building a welcoming community and creating opportunities where Latino families can belong, contribute, and succeed. He was instrumental in the building of Casa Azafrán, the nonprofit collaborative at the gateway to Nashville's International District that houses Conexión Américas and nine other partners.

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:

• Prioritize design that alleviates impact on the environment’s natural resources.

• Recognize historic and socially significant distinctions in community design.

• Promote community-supported, local economies to be equitable and sustainable.

RSVP for Preservation Below

Event now on MARCH 7th! This will be a hybrid event, but all panelists will be in-person. Zoom link sent on morning of event.

This Urban Design Forum is Part 2 of the Guiding Principles Series

Here’s a Recap of Part 1: Representation in Civic Design

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.

Foundation: When it comes to designing communities, there are some foundational elements that set its residents and visitors up for success. When these Foundation principles are overlooked, it would require great effort to instill these components into the development culture after the fact.

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

Mary Roskilly, AIA, Tuck-Hinton Architecture & Design

Mary Roskilly is a Principal and Partner at Tuck-Hinton Architecture & Design, a Small and Women Owned business located in Nashville that is known for creating many of the region’s most iconic buildings. She joined the firm in 1994 after graduating from the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor of Architecture. She has been involved in the design of several prestigious projects that have impacted Nashville - Music City Center, Country Music Hall of Fame, Frist Art Museum, and Tennessee Bicentennial Capitol Mall.

Hemalatha Gokhale, MD

Hemalatha Gokhale is a recently retired physician who oversees the MDHA community garden, Farm in the City. After 20 years with Radiology Alliance in Nashville, the focus of her second act is on urban gardening and sustainability. She is passionate about improving the mental and physical health of city dwellers by cultivating a community focused on reconnecting with the land and with each other.

After growing up in Nashville, she earned an undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University and MD from New York University. In addition to a physician and gardener, she is a wife, mother, grandmother, avid traveler, and Civic Design Center Board member.

Jessica Dauphin, Transit Alliance of Middle Tennessee

Jessica Dauphin is an accomplished nonprofit professional and TEDx Speaker who believes individual freedoms are directly tied to one's access to mobility. That means public transit is essential.

Dauphin was appointed to the Nashville MTA Board, is in the Leadership Middle Tennessee class of 2022, and is on the board of Transit NOW Nashville. She has a Bachelor’s degree in English from Middle Tennessee State University.

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:

• Organize community plans with sightlines that feature landmarks and natural assets to improve functionality and civic identity.

• Provide health-promoting features that respond to neighborhood attributes.

• Develop an equitable and desirable transportation infrastructure.

RSVP for Foundation or the Full Series Below

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.

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

Church Street Park activation has been going well! We are so excited for the future of this amazing Downtown public resource. We hope you will consider joining us for a visioning session about the future of the park.

For the Church Street Park Visioning forum, the Design Center and ASLA will be set up under tents at the park and have maps and vision boards where everyone can give their feedback and sketch what they would like to see at the future park. Come chat with the designers who will take your ideas and help sketch out some additional visions for the park!

To honor the 100 year anniversary of the 19th Amendment in the month of August, the Civic Design Center will be hosting an Urban Design Forum focusing on women in the design profession. The event will highlight the stories and lives of women designers in architecture, landscape architecture, design education and development. Their voices and skills have impacted cities, communities, people, and so much more.

This format of this event will be an online panel conversation moderated by Tifinie Capehart, Vice President of the Civic Design Center’s Board of Directors, and will host architects and designers; Jhennifer Amundson, Kim Hawkins, and Valarie Franklin.

Speakers:

Tifinie Capehart (Moderator + Civic Design Center Board Vice President) - Realtor®, Land Use Consultant  | Urban Studies Adjunct, TSU

Jhennifer Amundson - Ph.D., Dean, O'More College of Architecture, Art, and Design, Department Chair and Professor, Architecture

Kim Hawkins - ASLA, Founding Principal, Hawkins Partners, Inc. Landscape Architects

Valarie Franklin - AIA, NOMA, NCARB, Senior Associate / Architect + Client Relationship Manager, Moody Nolan

This past month was the 4th anniversary for the release of our book, Shaping the Healthy Community: The Nashville Plan. A lot of factors influence what makes a "healthy" community, from encouraging the use of public transit physical mobility to healthy food accessibility. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, more factors have been brought to light, like safety of our homeless population and whether or not air pollution has affected susceptibility to the virus.

Health emergencies can also be exacerbated by natural disasters. Tennessee was doubly affected first with the Nashville tornado and then the Chattanooga tornado. The people who experienced any damage or loss of power to their homes have been in a vulnerable situation during the outbreak.

On Wednesday, May 27th, we are excited to welcome the co-authors of Shaping the Healthy Community, Gary Gaston, and Christine Kreyling, to moderate a discussion on adapting to health emergencies in terms of healthy environment factors, community engagement, and city planning.

Panelists include:

Leslie Mehann - MPA, AICP:  Director of Office of Primary Prevention for the Tennessee Department of Health and;

Dr. Sanmi Arriola -   former Deputy Health Director of Metro Public Health Department in Nashville and current Director of Health and Environment in Johnson County, TN.

Edward Henley - Principal & Project Executive at Pillars Development, LLC.

Eric Hoke - Design Director, Civic Design Center