BELLS LANDING: A Vision for Smart Growth in Tennessee

Nashville developer Jeff Zeitlin’s proposal for a development in Bells Bend is on the radar screen. This is a vision that combines three mutually reinforcing imperatives as a new paradigm for how we should be developing in the future, locally on the site in Bells Bend, but also regionally here in Metro Nashville, and significantly, throughout the State of Tennessee. His vision combines land conservation to protect the environment, traditional neighborhood development to foster a sense of community, and sustainable design to lower our energy consumption as a citizenry. Despite its good intentions, this vision finds its detractors. Some critics feel Bells Bend, as a uniquely rural ambiance within Metro Nashville, should not have any new development, while others are environmental purists who believe that any development that is not infill within the footprint of existing infrastructure is not truly Smart Growth. Are these realistic expectations?

Presenters will include Jeff Zeitlin, landscape architect Kim Hawkins, energy consultant Peter Garforth and Metro Planning Director Rick Bernhardt, followed by group discussion.