Leading Change by Celebrating Neighborhood Identity in the face of Gentrification

Tifinie Capehart | PARKS Realty

josé Gonzalez | Conexión Americas

Kristen Jeffers | Kristen Jeffers Media, The Black Urbanist

Often, during community planning sessions, the attendees don’t always reflect the demographic makeup of the neighborhood. This leaves those of minority in the room to be the representative for their intersectional identities. There is so much more to our identities that contributes to community than what meets the eye. With our keynote, we will discuss how inclusive placemaking starts by recognizing and celebrating our diverse identities. Then we will ask the participants how we can work together to plan spaces that are truly inclusive while cultural gentrification threatens neighborhood identity.

Leading Change through Diversity in Design Education and Practice

Asia Allen | NOMA Nashville & Gresham Smith

Sekou Cooke | Sekou Cooke Studio

Felicia Dean | University Tennessee Knoxville College of Architecture + Design

What sustains a lack of racial diversity in architecture, planning and design professions? Often young people look to role models for career aspirations, but when systemic racism has blocked BIPOC from entering design, planning and architecture professions, students of color haven’t had enough examples of people in the field that look like them. How do we go about opening up more opportunities in these fields starting with young people exploring their career options?

Leading Change in Economic & Community Development within Neighborhoods

Gary Gaston | Civic Design Center

Ed Henley III | Pillars Development

Eddie Hamilton | Icon Pediatrics

Majora Carter | Majora Carter Group

Developers are always seen as outsiders when they start a project in a neighborhood, but what are the best practices for developing from within? Community voices are essential to shaping the outcomes we want to see in our neighborhoods. This talk will focus on how to lead economic growth from the neighborhood level discussing Majora Carter’s coined term, “self-gentrification”.

Leading Change in Wellness with and for the Youth

Melody Gibson | Civic Design Center

Youth Design Team | Civic Design Center

Mara Mintzer | Growing Up Boulder

A group of high schoolers on the Nashville Youth Design Team have been collecting data from middle schoolers on what contributes and detracts from their wellness in their communities. This group will lead discussion on ways we can raise youth voices and strive for wellness for our future generations.

Leading Change from an International Perspective to Best Reflect Diverse Communities

Renata soto | Harvard University

Emilio cabrero | C Cubica Arquitectos

mohamed-shukri hassan | Mayor’s Office of New Americans

Planning, design and development professions are required to engage with the community, but establishing guidelines for diverse speaking communities is key to transforming more equitable development. Considering Americans also have a lot to learn from the international perspective, this talk will help guide strategies for more socially conscious engagement and design.

Leading Change with Inspiring Tactical Urbanism Interventions

ron Yearwood | Smith Gee Studio

thaxton Waters | Art Specialist

mike lydon | Street Plans

Often community members fear change in their neighborhoods without knowing their options for successful design interventions that support safety, mobility and creativity. On the other hand, community members may feel like they don’t know how to improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods without leading to gentrification. This talk will discuss ways to use experimental tactical urbanism and art interventions to create a sense of place and strengthen neighborhood identity.

Leading Change in Safe Pedestrian Infrastructure for All

Nora kern | Walk Bike Nashville

Ingrid Mcintyre | Open Table Nashville

Zahra Alabanza | Red Bike and Green Atlanta

Angie Schmitt | 3MPH Planning + Consulting

Many community members have to focus on surviving over thriving in our public infrastructure. Homeless populations and transit riders are faced with impossible crossings to get where they need to go. Black, Indigenous and people of color are more likely to be hit by car drivers, in part due to lack of infrastructure in communities of color and the intentional segregation of our cities by race. BIPOC are also faced with extreme over-enforcement while moving, walking, and cycling due to the consequences of systemic racism. With pedestrian deaths on the rise in cities during the pandemic, this collaborative talk will help us strategize ways to protect our most vulnerable community members.

Leading Change in Affordability Through Transportation and Housing Advocacy

Tanisha hall | Fairpointe Planning

Kelsey Oesmann | Urban Housing Solutions

Jackie Paul Sims | PATHE

Daniel Hernandez | PROYECTO

Changing policy, by nature, often feels like a job for governments, but asking for change is the job of the constituents. This becomes difficult when we don’t have a unified community voice when it comes to transportation. The Mayor’s new transportation plan brings up the idea of the Neighborhood Transit Center, which could align with building more affordable housing to sustain transit. This talk will discuss how transit and affordable housing often go hand-in-hand, and how we can strive for a unified voice and policy change to support both.

Leading Change to Create Sustainable Places

Laurel Creech | Metro General Services

Jason Carney | TN Solar Energy Association

Mekayle Houghton | Cumberland River Compact

Following the tornado this past March, homes and businesses were destroyed across the city. With climate change becoming more prominent in our world, destructive consequences will become more frequent. How do we do our part in the landscape, architecture, design and planning professions to implement more sustainable practices to alleviate climate change while building on neighborhood identity? How can we also effectively bounce back from its consequences?

Leading Change for Healthier Communities

Latha Gokhale | Radiology Alliance

Leslie Meehan | TN Department of Health

David Powell | Hastings Architecture

Jam Stewart | Mars Petcare

Design is highly influenced by current events and trends, but design and planning projects often take years to implement. The research conducted at the Design Center has brought to light “health” and “wellness” standards to strive for in communities, but how can we implement those standards as long term solutions? This talk will strategize ways to create healthier communities now, in a time of the pandemic, but also work towards more preventive holistic design solutions for the future.