For the Civic Design Center’s 4th Annual Parklet Design Competition, we are switching things up a little! We will be permanently reclaiming 6 parking spaces for pedestrians in front of North Nashville restaurant, Kingdom Cafe & Grill. All details of the brief will be released at the Kick-Off and there will be a chance to check out the site conditions, so come with your sketchpads. As usual, there will be light snacks and refreshments.

Why the shift to privately-owned spaces? We have done so much work in North Nashville over the years, especially along Jefferson Street, and the timing couldn’t have worked out more perfectly with the proposed plan for the Jefferson Street corridor. There’s actually a rendering that imagines the frontage of Kingdom Cafe & Grill as patio seating that would create a more inviting streetscape for the whole community. Our team decided that we could give this plan a little jumpstart through our design competition.

Never heard of the Parklet Design Competition before? This Kick Off Party marks the opening for a call for design submissions to imagine a parklet for a local business, in this case, Kingdom Cafe. This design competition is special compared to others because we partner with a construction company who donates all of the labor and materials to build the winning design in time for PARK(ing) Day (September 19th, 2026). Not sure you’ve hear enough? Read about our past competitions—2023 for Wilburn Street Tavern, 2024 for Bagelshop, and 2025 for the Cupcake Collection.