2026
Parklet Design Competition
Photo by Andrew Keithly Photography
And the Winner is…
CSDG + Anecdote Architectural Experiences
The 4th Annual Parklet Design Competition provided a unique opportunity for designers to create a mini-park for Kingdom Café & Grill in place of 900+ square feet of parking—our biggest scope yet. The winning team was a partnership between landscape architects at CSDG and designers at Anecdote Architectural Experiences. The parklet structure was built by R.C. Mathews Contractor, while the landscaping work was done by Civic Design Center and an amazing group of volunteers.
Complementing Choose How You Move visions
Following the Jefferson Street Corridor Study, we were thrilled to support a business on the corridor that has been an integral part of the community. The visionary sketch from the Choose How You Move team imagines not 1, but 6 parking spaces being reclaimed for people. The Design Center decided to expedite this transformation through the Parklet Design Competition.
Kingdom Café & Grill is a Community InstitutionKingdom Café & Grill celebrated its 10th Anniversary in 2026! The business was founded by Pastor Howard Jones Jr., who believed the church should serve the community every day — not just on Sundays and Wednesdays. Located in the heart of Nashville’s historic Jefferson Street corridor, Kingdom has grown into more than a soul food restaurant; it has become a community gathering place rooted in culture, hospitality, and service.
Following the 2020 Nashville tornado, Kingdom served as a hub for neighbors, volunteers, and families in need, reflecting its ongoing commitment to the community. Today, Howard Jones III continues the vision of his father by blending food, culture, music, and community engagement to help preserve and uplift the historic legacy of Jefferson Street. He also serves as Entertainment Chair for the Jefferson Street Historical Society and is passionate about creating experiences that honor the street’s rich history and future growth.
Thanks to our Construction Partner for this Design Competition!
Depaving made possible by
The Brief:
IMPORTANT ACKNOWLEDGMENT:
We completely depaved 900+ square feet of asphalt and concrete where we will place the parklet on structural supports rather than building to the grade of the asphalt. This left space for nearly 800 square feet of native landscaping and trees as well as future parklet expansion. Landscape design suggestions were taken into consideration with the parklet design.
Requirements:
Maximum built footprint: 140-160 square feet
Parklet could be any shape, but the platform must be level with curb leading to business entrance in at least one location for an ADA accessible entrance to the patio from the front door
Parklet base must be a permeable surface or decking to follow depave guidelines
Shade treatment and/or strategic tree planting to mitigate full sun during lunch service
Consider seating that works for having drinks outside or enjoying a full plate of Meat and Three selections
Special Requirement:
Jefferson Street has been a hub of community for North Nashville. The street has a deep history of Black excellence as home and gathering place to multiple HBCUs as well its roots in music history—from the Fisk Jubilee Singers to Jimi Hendrix. To learn more about the area, consider taking a self-guided history tour!
Consider addressing Historic Jefferson Street’s connection to live music and Kingdom Café’s regular Jazz Nights
Consider how Kingdom Cafe might also encourage sidewalk-facing gathering for community chess or watching the parades that come by on Jefferson Street
A Parklet that breathes jefferson street’s history
Kingdom Cafe team with Howard Jones Jr. on the left and Howard Jones III on the right
Jefferson Street was a place for famous jazz and rock musicians in the mid 20th century; Brown’s Hotel and Dinner Club attracted the likes of Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald
The TSU Homecoming Parade has a decades long history along Jefferson Street
[Photo Courtesy of TSU Special Collections-1950]
winning design
The Narrative:Take a Beat
Inspired by the form and symbolism of the quarter rest in musical notation, the parklet embraces the idea of “taking a beat,” a moment to pause, gather, and connect. The design translates the flowing geometry of the quarter rest into a series of intersecting ‘spheres of community’ that create welcoming spaces for conversation, performance, and everyday life.
Just as a rest gives rhythm meaning, the parklet becomes a place of pause within the movement of Jefferson Street, a resting spot for pedestrians, a front row seat to live music at Kingdom Cafe, a place to watch neighborhood parades, or simply a welcoming corner to enjoy a game of chess on a sunny afternoon. This musical language extends beyond the overall form and informs the parklet’s details. These elements create a layered architectural expression that honors the past while inviting new experiences to unfold.
More than a place to sit, the parklet becomes a place to take a beat, reconnecting people, culture, and community while contributing to the ongoing reactivation of one of Nashville’s most historic streets. It is a reminder that the vibrancy of Jefferson Street was built by community, sustained by memory, and carried by music.
Runners Up
Dancing on the Ceiling by Marcus Brooks
The Blues by Bex Interiors and Plant Savvy
