Evolving principles

Published in 2005, The Plan of Nashville was a major community engagement project facilitated by the Nashville Civic Design Center that brought people together to dream big for the future of Nashville’s development. During that process, consensus emerged around 10 principles to guide public policy, development practice, urban planning and design. While these principles were focused on the Nashville area, they are universal in intent.

The principles have shaped much of the last 20 years of the nonprofit’s work. One in particular has taken center stage in the Civic Design Center’s recent advocacy efforts: “Re-establish the streets as the principal public space of community and connectivity.” Why the streets? Most community members don’t think of the street as a public space like we do parks and playgrounds. But they are public resources we pay for yet rarely get to enjoy as more than thruways for vehicles.