Reforming the arterials

The arterial gets its name by way of analogy to the artery in human anatomy, which carries blood from the heart through the body. Historically, arterials have functioned as the main channels in a branching system of roads and streets, carrying traffic to and from the heart of the city.

Over the past 50 years, Nashville’s arterials have passed through three stages: from multimodal mixed-use corridors, to high-speed single-mode commercial arteries, to roads characterized by excess vehicle capacity and decayed and underutilized low-density commercial buildings. Today Nashville is suffering from a clogging of its arteries. We have tried to make these roads carry heavy traffic, yet zoned them almost entirely commercial. These goals work in opposition to each other.