This workshop series asked the community to consider what they wanted to see in the Nashville of the future. At the suggestion of the participants in the community assessment workshops, sections of the study area were combined for the vision workshops to produce a broader consensus. These combined sections were ultimately used to define the treatment of the first-ring neighborhoods

Each session began with team leaders presenting a summary of the Plan process to date, the data derived from the previous assessment workshop, and a list of potential major projects on the civic agenda--a convention center, baseball stadium, federal courthouse, civic square in East Nashville, etc.-- so that the citizens could consider possible developments when addressing their respective sections of the study area.

Then breakout groups were formed. Each group had a design team member as a lead, a note taker, and a sketch artist. The group was led through a series of questions about their dreams and aspirations for their neighborhood:

*If you could have three or more attractions to take out-of-town visitors in your community, what would they be? (Examples: restaurants, parks, museums, stores, churches, public art, or a great street.)
*Name three or more sites that could be public places.
*Name three or more natural and manmade features that could make your community special and unique.
*Name three or more streets, paths (i.e., greenway or trail), and edges (i.e., river) that could make your community better.
*What areas of your community do you want to change (and what kind of change do you want to see) and what areas do you want to keep the same?
*What ten things would bring the biggest improvements to the city in the future

As with the previous community workshops, responses were simultaneously recorded in written notes and graphic sketches as well as on large maps. At the conclusion, all groups were brought back together and each presented its proposals. Team leaders subsequently compiled all the information into one list of issues and on to one map for each section of the study area.

Learn more about each of the study areas by clicking on the link below.

Vision Workshop Map

Building Consensus Workshop (Nashville Convention Center, April 12, 2003)
Participants developed agreement on the principles of the Plan and consolidated the vision for Nashville. More than 250 people attended the Saturday morning session. An extensive electronic survey was developed and conducted in consultation with Betina Finley, President of TurnKey Video and New Media in Seattle. The eighty-two questions in ten categories established the demographics of hte participants and then asked their opinions on issues related to the Cumberland River, cultural attractions, the natural and built environment, neighborhoods, transportation infrastructure, economic development, housing, urban design and education.

The initial survey was then augmented by an online survey to which an additional three hundred citizens responded. The information derived from the survey was used by NCDC staff and design team leaders to finalize the Plan's goals and principles, which were in turn used to produce the design of the Plan.

Download the results from the survey. (68KB pdf)