Visioning Donelson Library Plaza Park
By Gretchen Trast, Research Fellow
5 min read On May 22nd, the Civic Design Center activated the Donelson Library Plaza Park with the Soundbox to receive community feedback for the public space in front of the future Donelson Library. The following are findings from surveying community members in the park.
When we attended the Donelson Plaza Palooza to collect feedback from community members, the first thing they asked us was, “What is this going to be?”, and we responded that they should get to decide that direction. Following that response, attendees were eager to tell us about their excitement for the future of Donelson Library Plaza Park. Many of those attendees explained their close proximity to the public space and their desire to get involved in the process.
Want your voice included? Fill out the survey here by June 28, 2021!
Community members mingle around the public space in front of the future Donelson Public Library
What is your current perception of this location?
Community member filling out a survey about Donelson public space
Participants identified the public space as one that was in transition, just like the neighborhood is in transition.
A few participants mentioned that the turnover in business and residents provides a lot of potential for holistic community development that can be channeled in the development of the park. Others appreciate the walkability aspects the space has to offer and want to see more pedestrian infrastructure as a result. Overall, it is seen as an area of potential because of its location.
What are ideal activities for this area?
Child speaks through the interactive Soundbox pop-up park for someone to listen on the other side
Participants prioritized family friendly engagement, library events, and relaxation as ideal activities for the Donelson Library Plaza Park. Most people emphasized wanting everyday activities where the park is engaged all the time no matter what time of day or day of the week. This includes both static engagement such as a playground and active engagement such as events and planned programming. Last, participants also overwhelmingly identified that shade is required to make all of this enjoyable and a relaxing environment.
Scaled Donelson Community Survey Responses
The scales depicted below show how strongly community members felt about the following questions about future elements for the park. A total of 28 participants completed the survey. 89% of participants lived in 37214, 39% lived in 37214 with children, 25% worked in 37214, 7% owned a business in 37214, and 21% visited 37214. Participants averaged visiting the area a few times a week. The following chart provides a breakdown of participant age.
Make it stand out
We asked…
Do you like the idea of public art in this area?
You answered…
Make it stand out
We asked…
Do you like the idea of traffic calming in this area?
You answered…
Make it stand out
We asked…
Do you like the idea of public seating in front of the future Donelson Library?
You answered…
On a scale of 1 to 5, from not having public art to feeling strongly about having public art, participants averaged 4.3 out of 5. On a scale of 1 to 5, from not calming area traffic to feeling strongly about calming traffic, participants averaged 4.1 out of 5. On a scale of 1 to 5, from not having public seating to feeling strongly about public seating, participants averaged 3.1 out of 5.
What are some Donelson community features that you would like to highlight or bring to this space?
Family looks on the design visioning board in Donelson
Ideas for how the space should look and function centered engagement at all times. Foremost, people want the space to be walkable, provide shade and seating for gathering opportunities, and lean into the history of Donelson.
As for natural elements, participants want greenery and trees as well as a community garden or flower garden. Water was also mentioned whether in the form of a fountain or splash pad like Azafrán Park in South Nashville. Suggested activities included music performances and yoga.
Participants were asked to vote between two design styles to consider for the Donelson Library Plaza Park.
The photos above show how community members, both adults and kids, voted for visioning the future park space.
The aggregated results are in the slideshow below:
Slide 1: Adults preferred greenscape over hardscape by 3%, and youth alternatively prefer hardscape over greenscape by 3%; Slide 2: Adults prefer structured areas more than organic areas by 19% and youth by 17% ; Slide 3: Adults prefer a sprayground over a labyrinth by 7% and youth by 23%; Slide 4: Adults prefer experiential public art over visual public art by 32% and youth by 7%; Slide 5: Adults prefer flexible space over programmed space by 17% and youth by 8%; Slide 6: Adults prefer artistic seating over utilitarian seating by 6% and youth by 25%
Do you have any concerns about this area?
Community members speak with Councilman Jeff Syracuse of Donelson District 15
A few concerns held by participants about the future of the space was maintenance of the space through proper water drainage and safety measures. Safety included both for children, perhaps in the form of a fence, and the promotion of a sense of safety at night. Participants also held concerns over the park becoming a camp area for unhoused people.
Overall, residents wanted the space to be properly planned so that the physical flow of people and traffic was manageable by emphasizing walkability, access by public transit and sufficient parking. Parking, however, was to be tempered to make sure that the asphalt did not produce a heat zone.
Give your thoughts about the future public space in the heart of Donelson:
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