Civic Design Center

There is a very important council meeting this week. Here’s what we think about a couple items on the agenda… www.tennessean.com/story/opinio...

trains, please

If we are serious about pedestrian safety there's really only one way to ensure that vehicles will slow down and pay attention.. & that is to build infrastructure that forces drivers to slow down and pay attention.

There may be outcry, but drivers will adjust to traffic calming. They always do.

We need it here in Nashville!

Airport leadership to review hours-long traffic issue Monday at BNA The traffic issue was first reported by BNA at about 3:30 p.m., with the last traffic update from the airport being sent out at about 11:15 p.m.

This probably wouldn't happen if we had a rail spur to the airport... People need more than one modality option to get to the airport. Future BRT on Murfreesboro will alleviate vehicle traffic! #BetterBusforBNA www.wsmv.com/2025/09/15/a...

This is absolutely nuts! We feel like a depave project would be even better suited to this street! @cumberlandrivercompact should have a Bluesky...

A Google Maps screenshot of Gastonia, North Carolina with arrows that point to dangerous design elements of a street.

The Jenkins family lives in an ordinary suburban apartment complex less than a ten-minute walk from a grocery store in Gastonia, North Carolina.

That should mean their children could make the trip on foot without danger.

A graphic with a yellow gradient and a Places That Work stamp logo. Text reads “It’s the little things that make a place work”

A crosswalk painted at a dangerous intersection. A bench built at a bus stop. Some cones set out to slow traffic in a school zone. These are some of the small, quick steps people can take to make their places safer and stronger.

New bike lanes connect Germantown to East Nashville Getting from place to place by bicycle is becoming increasingly popular in the Metro area.

New bike lanes connect Germantown to East Nashville

We have helped facilitate two permanent parklets so far in town (with the third coming to Germantown), and we would be extremely open to supporting business owners who want to do this. Just note that Parklet permits are only available for street parking spaces on low speed corridors!

Great advocacy here from Meredith Montgomery of @walkbikenashville.bsky.social and Veronica Foster from @civicdesigncenter.bsky.social.

Sounds like it's time for @freddieoconnell.bsky.social to take a position.

What Happens When Residents Act and Cities Shut It Down When tension builds between grassroots action and bureaucratic boundaries, cities must choose: partnership or pushback.

This @strongtowns.org article talks about the community taking change into their own hands sparking the debate about government control versus government trust. www.strongtowns.org/journal/2025...

Check it out! @nashvillescene.com @wpln.bsky.social @thetnholler.bsky.social @tennesseelookout.com @wkrnnews2.bsky.social

Reintroducing Everyone’s Neighborhood — Civic Design Center Coalition launches new concept for the East Bank Transportation Network centering around East Bank Promenade Written By Veronica Foster | Designs By Eric Hoke and Remi Lynch 5 min read Communit...

We decided it wasn't enough to say NO to the 6-lane design concept for the East Bank Blvd. We envisioned something to say YES to with Southern Environmental Law Center, @thinktn.bsky.social and @walkbikenashville.bsky.social. @kemcdonell.bsky.social www.civicdesigncenter.org/all-projects...

Thanks for sharing this honest observation of the advocacy efforts that are underway for the East Bank Boulevard. This is a huge deal!

Veronica here, just tuning in from the International Parklet Symposium in San Fransisco! It’s been such an inspiring first day in the birthplace of parklets. Did you know there are over 300 parklets in SF?! We have work to do in Nashville, friends.

"The 60-page booklet reads like the Civic Design Center’s long-lost demo tape." 😉

The more land we exclusively dedicate to parking, the less land there is for housing. It's that simple.

Can Progressive Planners Appeal to Conservative Principles? Trump’s approach to policies like NYC’s congestion pricing isn’t just irrational and wasteful — it defies the tenets of conservatism. But there are ways to reframe the issues.

Multimodal infrastructure is responsible and bipartisan. This article is a great example of how to reframe critical infrastructure issues for both parties. These are great talking points for calling your representatives. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

U.S. DOT Orders Review of All Grants Related to Green Infrastructure, Bikes — Streetsblog USA Now U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is coming for our bike lanes!

Bike and pedestrian infrastructure is not only equitable and sustainable, but it is so much more than that. It's safer for all when our streets are designed for people. Our quality of life improves! This will have negative ripple effects. Full stop. usa.streetsblog.org/2025/03/12/b...

Small-scale projects can make a tremendous impact!

“devoted to keeping the boulevard’s historic character intact”

not great folks!

there’s nothing historic character about cars killing people on roads

people have been walking on roads for literally thousands of years before cars started using them

www.wkrn.com/news/local-n...

Open Shop at the Bike Lab

💫 TONIGHT!! 💫 Need some basic help with your 🚲 ? Need a 🔧 or workstand for an hour? The Bike Fun Bike Lab hosts open shop twice a month on the second & fourth Tuesdays from 4-7PM at @cosechacommunity in Woodbine. More info at our calendar page www.nashvillebikefun.org/events/

Honored to be one of 14 elected officials from across the USA to be selected for the Champions Institute. #Nashville #MetroCouncilNash

Special thanks: @civicdesigncenter.bsky.social @urbanistdad.bsky.social @walkbikenashville.bsky.social

2025 EELU State of the Environment Conference Discover unique opportunities at! Find and attend events, browse and join organizations, and showcase your involvement.

Our team has attended this event in the past and raved about the experience they had. In a time where there are so many uncertainties, this is a great opportunity to understand the state of our resources. anchorlink.vanderbilt.edu/event/11128761

It's almost time for the release of @nashville.gov's Housing & Infrastructure Study! There are a few in-person opportunities to get questions answered this week before the study is presented to Metro Council. Otherwise you can check out the online resources here: engage.nashville.gov/housingandin...

Lighted crosswalks make drivers more apt to yield to pedestrians Crosswalk illuminators and flashing beacons dramatically increase the likelihood that drivers will yield to pedestrians, a new IIHS study shows.

If anyone receives the Tennessee Dept of Health Built Environment newsletter, they shared this cool article about research on lighted crosswalks to prevent pedestrian deaths. This doesn't feel groundbreaking, so why don't we have these? www.iihs.org/news/detail/... @nashvilledot.bsky.social

The high cost of free parking YouTube video by Vox

Donald Shoup, a parking reform advocate, scholar and author, passed away this month. In honor of his legacy, learn more about how our cities grew into places designed for cars over humans in the quick video. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Akm7...

Plans for permanent safety barriers laid out for downtown Nashville NDOT hopes to have the barriers in place on Broadway by Summer of 2026.

@nashvilledot.bsky.social did you listen to our podcast before you made this decision? If not, so glad we are on the same wavelength! 👀 Hopefully we can help ensure that the design doesn't feel hostile...
www.wsmv.com/2025/02/11/p...

What's Up With That: Building Bigger Roads Actually Makes Traffic Worse The concept is called induced demand, which is economist-speak for when increasing the supply of something (like roads) makes people want that thing even more. Though some traffic engineers made note ...

“We found there’s this perfect one-to-one relationship. If a city increased its road capacity by 10% then driving went up by 10%.” Still one of the best articles on why building bigger roads leads to more driving. Understanding “The Unbreakabke Law Of Congestion” aka #InducedDemand. Via @wired.com