A lot of political strife and confusion unfolded this Summer after two data center developments in Nashville were announced to the public. Community members sprang into action, organizing around petitions and policy education events. In the wake of these announcements, Metro Council passed legislation for a data center zoning and permit moratorium as well as Mayoral-proposed legislation for eminent domain on one of the development properties. When it comes to data centers, it seems like we know what we don’t want. But we aren’t sure exactly what we do want. While the moratorium gave the community time to think, the clock is ticking towards its expiration on December 1st.

Building on everything we have learned over the past several months of the data center debate, how can Nashville establish guidelines and design considerations for future data centers once the moratorium is lifted? If data centers are here to stay, we need to ensure that the placement, design, and overall context fits the needs of the community as a whole. Join us for a panel discussion on data centers and how the community can effectively strategize for responsible design.

Special Guest

The Civic Design Center welcomes special guest, Khalil Shahyd, from Washington D.C. for this event! Khalil Shahyd, PhD, is a Senior Strategist on AI and Data Centers with National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) where he leads their work on ensuring AI and its related infrastructure doesn't undermine our climate ambitions, increase environmental burdens or exacerbate inequality.

He has a BA in History from Tulane University, an MA in Sustainable International Development from Brandeis, and a PhD in Energy and Environmental Policy from the University of Delaware with a specialization in Urban Political Ecology.

Our other local panelists include:

• Winston Wellington Wright, Public Health professional and local transit advocate

• Rollin Horton, Metro Nashville District 20 Council Member

Doors open at 5:00 pm and the program begins at 5:30 pm