Month: July 2012

A view from the river: How the city of Nashville brought a neglected natural asset back to life

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Cumberland Park, on Nashville, Tennessee’s Cumberland River waterfront. Photo courtesy of the Nashville Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency.

Nashville, Tennessee’s Cumberland River has long been viewed as an industrial thoroughfare for barges to transport cargo. But as the city looked to improve its downtown in the 1980s, it came to realize that the riverfront could be an incredible asset to its revitalization efforts.

“Riverfront revitalization got started about 25 years ago when we began to realize that the city had turned its back on the river,” said Rick Bernhardt, a Planning Executive at the City of Nashville.

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Chris Leinberger at the 2011 Smart Growth Summit

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Chris Leinberger, President of LOCUS: Responsible Real Estate Developers and Investors, speaking at the 2011 Smart Growth Summit in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Hosted by Smart Growth America’s coalition partner the Center for Planning Excellece, the Summit is an annual convening in downtown Baton Rouge of elected officials, engaged citizens and local, national, and international experts in community planning and growth. The 2012 Summit will take place August 27-29. Click here to learn more about this year’s Summit.

LOCUS

Great neighborhoods in action: Send us photos of your town on the Fourth of July

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The Fourth of July parade passes through downtown Nevada City, CA. Photo via Flickr user Darin Barry.

From the parades that go down main street to watching the fireworks in a nearby park, smart growth strategies and the Fourth of July go hand in hand.

Surprised? You shouldn’t be. The Fourth of July is one of the best days of the year to see great planning and thoughtful community building in action.

While celebrating our nation’s independence, remember to take a look around. Chances are you’re in a public space or great, walkable neighborhood that smart growth strategies can help to create.

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Southeast Florida’s seven counties join to draft 50-year plan for sustainable development

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Hundreds of urban planners, civic figures, public officials and activists in Southeast Florida are working together to help better achieve the region’s multiple development goals.

The South Florida Regional Planning Council, the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, and hundreds of volunteers and residents, have come together to create a plan that addresses the common issues of the Southeast Florida super-region. The Seven50 Southeast Florida Prosperity Plan, now in its initial phase, will work with seven counties in South Florida to create a plan for growth over the next 50 years.

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Spotlight on Sustainability: Madison, WI

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Unsustainable growth, lack of economic opportunities, community health concerns, and loss of natural resources—these are issues facing cities and towns across the country, and Madison, Wisconsin is no exception. But, regional planning organizations in the Greater Madison area are now attempting to confront these endemic issues in a strategic and sustainable way that utilizes Madison’s strengths rather than allowing its weaknesses to be barriers to an effective response.

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