Founded in 2000, the Nashville Civic Design Center is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to elevate the quality of Nashville's built environment and to promote public participation in the creation of a more beautiful and functional city for all.

Towards this end, the Nashville Civic Design Center:
 

Promotes the Principles of The Plan of Nashville, a vision for growth and development, created and endorsed by the citizens of Nashville;

Educates the public about civic design through lectures by prominent speakers; classes on the history and practice of urban design; and continuing education classes taken by design and development professionals in the fields of architecture, law, real estate and urban planning;

Provides professional staff and highly-qualified design interns to consult on civic and other community development projects;

Facilitates public dialogue about civic design and its impact through the Urban Design Forum. The Forum meets monthly at the Civic Design Center, publicizes events and lectures and provides an open forum for the debate of ideas and issues of interest to its members;

Researches and publishes reports on various civic design issues.


 

The Ten Principles

1. Respect Nashville's natural and built environment.
   
   
2. Treat the Cumberland River as central to Nashville's identity -- an asset to be treasured and enjoyed.
   
   
3. Reestablish the streets as the principal public space of community and connectivity.
   
   
4. Develop a convenient and efficient transportation infrastructure.
   
   
5. Provide for a comprehensive, interconnected greenway and park system.
   
   
6. Develop an economically viable downtown district as the heart of the region.
   
   
7. Raise the quality of the public realm with civic structures and spaces.
   
   
8. Integrate public art into the design of the city, its buildings, public works and parks.
   
   
9. Strengthen the unique identity of neighborhoods.
   
   
10. Infuse visual order into the city by strengthening sightlines to and from civic landmarks and natural features.