With development along the Cumberland Riverfront on the horizon, it is imperative to consider how improvements to connectivity and public space can increase the quality of life in and around downtown Nashville. Throughout Nashville’s history, the Cumberland River has played the role as the epicenter of Nashville’s identity and evolution. It served as a means of transportation and survival in Nashville’s early Native American history, and later European settlements. “It was the river that was the initial lifeline to the rest of the world, connecting Nashville to the Ohio, Tennessee, and Mississippi Rivers—and beyond.” (The Plan of Nashville: Avenues to a Great City). Throughout the early 1800s, the Cumberland continued to act as a key contributor to the economic development of Nashville, connecting the emerging city to major ports like New Orleans by steamboat. By the end of the 19th century, the Cumberland River was at the core of Nashville’s successful industrial economy.