IMAGINE NASHVILLE RELEASES FINAL REPORT & DOZENS OF “IDEAS FOR ACTION” TO GUIDE CITY FORWARD OVER NEXT DECADE
Community-Driven Effort Highlights Urgency of Addressing Housing, Improved Standard of Living, Transit, and Neighborhood Revitalization
Nashville, TN (October 4, 2024) – Imagine Nashville unveiled its final report Friday, capping off a 14-month-long, community-led process to unify the city around a set of priorities and actions to guide Nashville over the next decade. The recommendations converge the hopes and dreams of 10,000+ Nashvillians with 100s of ideas received from community and subject matter experts into a collective vision anchored around four overarching priorities:
- Nashvillians need stronger pathways to earn a higher standard of living and in turn, the ability to live a good life.
- Nashvillians must have the ability to safely and efficiently move around the city.
- Every Nashvillian should have a place to call home – meaning we have ample attainable and affordable housing options that match demand across the city.
- All neighborhoods should have a distinct character and the elements needed for a high quality of life for its residents.
In total, the report outlines 30+ ideas for action – designed as a starting point for implementation teams that will be formed in the coming weeks under the coordination of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, working in partnership with the Mayor’s Office and other partners.
“Nashville has long been known for its uncanny collaborative spirit. Together we have achieved so many things over the years, but sometimes in the warp speed of change, it’s easy to lose sight of how we got to be the envy of every other city in America,” said Imagine Nashville Co-Chair Dr. Alex Jahangir. “This year-long effort was designed to get us back to our roots – to bring the community together around a set of driving priorities that enable Nashville to continue to prosper but with an eye to making sure all Nashvillians feel they belong and can thrive here.”
RECOMMENDATIONS ANCHORED AROUND DEEPENING CITYWIDE SENSE OF BELONGING
The Imagine Nashville recommendations were built on feedback from more than thousands of Nashvillians collected in an unprecedented outreach effort that included 1:1 interviews, small group discussions, online and phone surveys, and even door-to-door canvasing. There was also a very intentional effort to engage young people, often under-represented populations, and residents in every neighborhood and zip code.
“From young people to aging Nashvillians, immigrants to LGBTQ residents, these are the voices that make Nashville what it is, yet many feel like they’re on the outside looking in,” said Imagine Nashville Co-Chair Renata Soto. “We were intentional about including all these groups in shaping our vision for the future. We want Nashville to be a place where everyone can see themselves.”
At the heart of the research, they discovered that Nashville has a number one value that sets it apart from other cities – the deep sense of belonging and connection people feel here. The city takes pride in its rich diversity and its welcoming, accepting approach. It’s a place where the supportive and collaborative spirit thrives, and a strong sense of community binds people together, making belonging an essential part of the city’s identity.
Yet, the research highlighted a troubling trend: many residents feel this sense of belonging is at risk.
Income emerged as the primary determinant of a sense of belonging, a significant challenge considering that 47% of Nashvillians earn less than $50,000 annually and are classified as low-income. Additional groups who often feel they increasingly do not belong include:
- LGBTQ (48%)
- Ages 65+ (45%)
- Youth (40%)
- African American/Black (31%)
“We saw clearly that income is the biggest factor in determining who feels like they belong and who feels disconnected. But we are better than that,” said Imagine Nashville Co-Chair Rev. John Faison, Sr. “The research was crystal clear – as we move forward over the next decade, Nashville rises or falls based on our ability to build a city where everyone feels they belong. Doing that means focusing not just on growing, but on making sure people are thriving – that we’re addressing with the proper urgency the need for more attainable housing, the ability to move around and enjoy the city more efficiently, the need to raise all Nashvillians’ standard of living, and that we’re working double time to strengthen our neighborhoods and ensure they all have the core elements of a “good life.”
“After a campaign built on making it easier for Nashvillians to stay and thrive here, we’ve worked through the first year of the administration to improve quality of life and make Nashville more affordable. Those principles align with what so many Nashvillians told us through Imagine Nashville. We all desire a more connected city that leaves each of us certain that we belong and can succeed here,” said Mayor Freddie O’Connell.
RECOMMENDATIONS HARNESS THE COLLECTIVE POWER OF GOVERNMENT, PHILANTHROPY, NONPROFITS, PRIVATE SECTOR – CREATING A UNIFYING FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION
The Imagine Nashville recommendations emerged from a multi-month process of engaging residents and subject matter experts across Nashville and around the country in a search for the best combination of ideas to go forward. The recommendations include efforts that not just government can take, but also the private sector, nonprofit community, private philanthropy, and residents. They also outline a comprehensive implementation framework that will be coordinated by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee in partnership with the Mayor’s Office, that will focus on creating world-class public/private partnerships and public accountability.
“We are committed to making sure this plan doesn’t just sit on a shelf. This will be a living, breathing document that evolves with the city,” said Hal Cato, CEO of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. “We are also committed to developing a first-of-its-kind community intelligence platform that enables anyone to access data about our city and monitor progress on the issues Nashvillians told us need attention.”
A sampling of some of the “ideas for action” highlighted in the report include: accelerated funding for affordable housing across the city, including better leveraging state and federal dollars for that purpose; expanding the small business footprint and doing more to protect home-grown small businesses from displacement; elevating the city’s positioning as an “innovation hub” and destination for R&D and entrepreneurship; prioritizing and aligning workforce development efforts with an eye toward making sure Nashvillians are filling more of the jobs being created; improving access to childcare citywide; promoting and incentivizing more people to use public transit and active transportation (including greenways, bike lanes, and more); strengthening safety of public transit; increasing the city’s housing stock; expanding homebuyer and rental assistance; increasing repair/modification and property tax relief programs that could help people stay in their homes longer; creating and promoting “third places” (fun places for young people to gather at nights and on weekends); piloting the “complete neighborhood” concept and neighborhood commercial corridors; developing robust neighborhood development plans based on the results of a Neighborhood Livability Index; improving resources for neighborhood associations and residents to better advocate for the needs of their communities.
About Imagine Nashville
Imagine Nashville is a citywide initiative guided by the belief that we as a community must share our dreams and ideas to shape our future. The yearlong effort began in the summer of 2023. The initiative is co-chaired by the Rev. Dr. John Faison Sr., Dr. Alex Jahangir and Renata Soto alongside a Steering Committee that includes a diverse group of neighborhood, civic, business and nonprofit leaders. The work comprises two phases. The first phase included citywide attitudinal research that reached into every corner of the county to find shared values and priorities. The second phase seeks to use the research findings to bring forth a set of clear, specific, actionable recommendations that guides the city forward and keeps us all accountable for real results that Nashvillians can see and feel in their daily lives.
Media contact:
Shannon Hunt, [email protected], 615-975-1455 Sara Kirkham, [email protected], 615-974-7651 Thomas Mulgrew, [email protected], 615-604-6534
