Connecting Neighbors to Nature: Visioning A park on Chadwell Drive
By Remi Lynch, Landscape Planning Associate and Joe Mayes, Project Manager
3 min read As growth and development in Madison, TN continues, the need for additional public space is vital to keep a thriving and sustainable neighborhood. A plot of land adjacent to the highway, owned by the Metro Parks Department, provides an opportunity for neighbors from the diverse housing types surrounding the space and the broader community to enjoy nature. This is the final vision for the park by the Civic Design Center based on community discussions and feedback.
Map showing where the park on Chadwell Dr is located
As cities grow and new homes and residences are built, it is important for residents to have continued access to public spaces and natural areas. Parks not only have a positive impact on our physical health but also help our mental health. The vision for a park on Chadwell Drive provides the opportunity for residents to access a natural wooded park space in the middle of new developments and longtime neighbors. Throughout the engagement process, the Design Center identified the desired programs for the space and created the design you’ll see in this blog. You can find out more about the whole project, which includes information on the first vision, community engagement, and the initial concepts for community review.
Nature Meets Imagination
Siteplan of Civic Design Center proposal for a new park on Chadwell Dr
The current design heavily emphasizes and prioritizes the essential components that have been raised by the community, which notably include aspects such as connectivity, park life and natural space, activation, and safety. We strongly encourage you to share your valuable insights and impressions regarding this design, which can be done conveniently in the comments at the bottom of this page.
Design Features
Southwest birdseye perspective view from Chadwell Dr
The Chadwell Park design encompasses a multitude of features, offering an array of possibilities and benefits to park visitors.
These include:
Well-defined passageways that wind through the serene wooded sections
A spacious open lawn that caters to a range of activities
A vibrant plaza area that serves as a hub for community events and presents an opportunity for captivating public art installations
Enhanced shade elements that provide solace and respite
A specially constructed playground area with durable hardscaping
The incorporation of visually appealing rain gardens that both enhance the aesthetics and help manage rainwater runoff in an environmentally conscious manner
Northeast street perspective view of park entry from Chadwell Dr
The incorporation of these various elements within the park's design serves the dual purpose of offering the community a place to gather while enhancing the park's sustainability. Furthermore, the design fosters connections between different neighborhoods as well as neighboring commercial districts in Madison.
North view from “Woods Major Connection” perspective of park entry from Chadwell Dr
Topography Exploration
The parkland at Chadwell Dr presents some substantial elevation changes. In order to transcend from Chadwell Dr to the southern edge of the property a series of retaining walls and pathways are recommended to descend from the northern end to a more central flat area of the park. The pathways will help create different program zones including the main lawn, a no-mow meadow with native plantings, and other interesting plant variety areas that segue to the densely wooded part of the park.
Section cut of proposed retaining walls
Axon diagram of proposed retaining walls
Next steps
This is not a final design and the park is not currently on the Metro Parks schedule to create the final design and build. In order to move forward with this park and complete the vision, Madison and its surrounding community will need to advocate for the development of the park. Metro Parks owns 3.67 acres at 0 Chadwell Drive and the Capitol Improvement Budget states the need for “preservation and activation of this green space” to “serve the existing and future neighborhood plans.” We hope these recommendations will help to prioritize design services in the mayor’s next Capitol Spending Plan.
To progress this concept, write an email to mayor@nashville.gov and ask the Mayor to consider funding the new park on Chadwell Dr. Please share all comments regarding the design in the comments below.