Reclaiming Public Space in Downtown Nashville

Seven years ago, several of Nashville’s young designers came together with the passion to improve the quality of life in downtown Nashville through the city’s public spaces. The resulting Nashville Street Life Project provided inspiration for the Nashville Civic Design Center’s most recent report, Reclaiming Public Space in Downtown Nashville, a tool for community driven public space.

Urban Infill Concepts along Nashville's East-West Connector Corridor

The Nashville Civic Design Center (NCDC) has released its latest report, Urban Infill Concepts along Nashville’s East-West Connector Corridor; a project created in partnership with the University of Tennessee College of Architecture & Design and the Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).

Downtown Schools for Nashville

This report explores the idea of a new downtown elementary school (as originally conceived in The Plan of Nashville: Avenues to a Great City book, and a new arts magnet school – both to be located on Fifth Avenue (in SoBro and Sulfur Dell respectively).

In Search of a New Home for the Nashville Sounds

In Search of a New Home for the Nashville Sounds, synthesizes past studies in which the Nashville Civic Design Center (NCDC) was involved, and is intended to aid in the efforts of determining a future relocation site for the Sounds Baseball Stadium. The report pulls together work on four different potential sites for a new stadium: Sulfur Dell, North Gulch, East Bank and the former Thermal Plant site.

Co-Housing

Cohousing is a type of cooperative housing in which residents actively participate in the design and operation of their own neighborhoods. In an effort to broaden the understanding of cohousing, learn from the community, and find ways of incorporating cohousing communities into the urban landscape, the Nashville Civic Design Center hosted a Cohousing Week in September 2010, consisting of a CityThink program, an Urban Design Forum and a Cohousing Public Workshop. This report is a compliation of the work that was done during the workshop.
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Moving Tennessee Forward:

The Nashville Area MPO has joined forces with the Nashville Civic Design Center to begin work on four major tasks to integrate good urban design guidelines with transportation policies and investment strategies. Throughout 2010 in preparation for the new 2035 Regional Transportation Plan, the two organizations will work together on the following efforts, collectively known as Moving Tennessee Forward

Nashville Convention Center

The Plan of Nashville is an ongoing project to develop a community-based vision plan and design principles for metropolitan Nashville's urban core, the area within the inner interstate highway loop and the neighborhoods adjacent to it.





 

Nashville Riverfront Redevelopment

Mayor Bill Purcell announced October 6, 2005 that the Metro Parks and Recreation Department and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will work with the Nashville Civic Design Center to create a Nashville Riverfront Redevelopment Master Plan.



 

Master Plan for Ballpark and Adjacent Development

The Nashville Civic Design Center, in conjunction with the Nashville Sounds and Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse, is working to gather feedback on a master plan for the new Nashville Sounds baseball park and the adjacent mixed-use development proposed by Struever Bros. for downtown Nashville. As part of the process, a series of public meetings was held; the results of which will be compiled into a document.
 

The Plan for SoBro

A study for the area south of Broadway sponsored by the Nashville Scene. Text by Christine Kreyling. City Press Publishing, Inc. copyright 1997.

To download a report of this study, click here (3.6 mb)

AIA 150 Blueprint for America

Blueprint for America was the cornerstone of the AIA’s 150th Anniversary Celebration. Intended to inspire communities to come together around architecture, Blueprint provides the opportunity for individuals to collaborate with AIA architects and share their ideas for creating livable communities. 
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The Green Hills Streetscaping / Signage Study

At the request of the West Area Business Council (WABC), a volunteer organization formed by members of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, the Nashville Civic Design Center conducted a short study of the opportunities afforded in adopting portions of the area’s Urban Design Overlay, especially those related to awnings and signage. An Urban Design Overlay (UDO), is a zoning tool, developed by the Metro Planning Commission.
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The Nashville Street Life Project

The Nashville Street Life Project is a grass roots movement whose sole purpose is to raise the quality of life of those who live, work, and visit downtown Nashville by creating a succssful network of public spaces. These included parks, plazas, streets, sidewalks, alleys, and any other space that fosters the social relationships that build communities.

Capitol Boulevard Revisited 2002/2003

Since the opening of the Main Public Library in May 2002, there has been renewed interest in the role that Capitol Boulevard plays in the life of the city. The Nashville Civic Design Center, once the Library’s neighbor at 7th and Church, focuses heavily on the study of public space and has placed Capitol Boulevard at the top of its research agenda because of its prominence and potential. This study investigates three, of possibly many, concepts for what Capitol Boulevard can become as we continuously work to improve the quality of downtown Nashville.

Report on the Cumberland Bridges of Nashville

In February of 2001 the Civic Design Center was asked to assist Metro Public Works in the selection of a color for the proposed Gateway Bridge. Later, the study was expanded to include all of the bridges that connect East Nashville and the downtown, from north to south. The charge for the Civic Design Center was threefold: one, to determine the history and tradition of bridge color in the study area; two, to determine a strategy for painting the structures; and three, to determine a color or palate of colors based on aesthetics as well as technical factors.

Selecting Sites for Civic Buildings in Downtown Nashville

This drawing analyzes the current and future siting of civic buildings in downtown Nashville.

To download this drawing, click here (2.7mb)

Nashville Convention Center Site Reuse Proposal

At the request of the Nashville Convention Center, the Nashville Civic Design Center conducted a short study on the possible conversion opportunities of the existing Convention Center site. This proposal shows a public plaza being created in front of the Ryman, with new mixed-use development along Commerce Street and Broadway. The proposal maintains the existing building underneath the site for parking and allows a portion of the structure to be utilized by the Renaissance Hotel for convention purposes.

Broadway Boulevard Study

This short study examines case studies for boulevards around the world that have a similar width to Broadway in Nashville. The study offers examples of how Broadway could possibly be reconfigured.

To download a report of this study, click here.

Nashville Downtown Living Initiative

"To encourage the production of well-designed market-rate and affordable housing in a healthy downtown neighborhood."

An ad hoc task force composed of representatives of the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency, the Mayor's Office of Affordable Housing, the Metropolitan Planning Department, the Nashville Civic Design Center, and the Nashville Downtown Partnership created the Downtown Living Initiative. This group convened to study housing in Nashville's urban core and develop a plan for its enhancement.

To download a report of this study, click here (2.2 mb)