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Metropolitan Nashville - One of the 100 Best Communities for Young People
Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County was selected as one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People, in part, because the Oasis Center, a nonprofit organization serving youth, has teamed up with Metro Parks and Recreation and AmeriCorps to create youth civic action groups meeting weekly in six different recreation centers adjacent to low-income areas. They sponsor Nashville Youth Leadership, an innovative program designed for high school sophomores that provides youth with the training necessary to become active
and effective leaders. Participants commit to a nine-month series of daylong programs addressing the arts, government, non-profits, criminal justice, and the media.
Business Week Names Nashville as one of America’s Best Places for Artists
The combination of artistic resources, relatively low living costs, and young, diverse population makes Nashville an ideal place for artists.
The Arts & Culture Index, produced by Sperling's BestPlaces, considers the number and size of local area resources such as museums, philharmonic orchestras, dance companies, theater troupes, library resources, and college arts programs. A higher number indicates more and larger art resources, with a maximum score of 100.
Nashville art establishments per 100,000 people: 11.443
Percentage of population age 25-34: 14.74%
Arts & Culture Index: 77
Diversity Index: 37
Cost of Living Index: 84.2
Affordable Housing Production Continues to Rise
Nashville’s affordable housing production numbers grew by more than 26,000 between 1999 and 2006 and were on track to meet the goal set by Mayor Bill Purcell of 35,000 units by the end of the decade.
“In 1999 the first summit on affordable housing found there was a need for 35,000 new affordable housing opportunities in Nashville,” Purcell said. “When I became mayor, I committed to meet that goal by 2010 and we will reach that goal if we continue at the current rate of growth. There is more affordable housing available in Nashville including the new homes in North Nashville built with the assistance of the 15th Avenue CDC and the new lofts on Second Avenue, under the PILOT program. The number of affordable housing opportunities have exceeded the targets set in 1999 by 20 percent,” Purcell said.
Mayor Purcell has also announced plans to fund additional permanent supportive housing for the homeless as part of the administration’s plan to address chronic homelessness. He said MDHA will issue an RFP for $600,000 for permanent supportive housing that is needed for the chronically homeless.
Metro Art Contest Winners Featured on Red River Garbage Trucks
To help launch Mayor Bill Purcell's "Celebrate Nashville" initiative, Public Works and Red River Service Corp. sponsored a Metro-wide art contest for 3rd and 4th graders. The "Celebrate Nashville -- Keep It Beautiful" art contest was intended as a way for Metro students to use their creativity and art skills to help spread the message about the importance of recycling and keeping Nashville clean.
Winners were selected in late November by a panel of judges that included members of the Metropolitan Arts Commission and Metro Council. The top three winners received funds for their school art departments. A total of 72 winners and runners-up will have their artwork displayed on waste collection trucks until Summer 2007.
The first place winner was Abigail Howland of Una Elementary School who received $1,500 for her school. Second place was Cameron Webb of Granberry Elementary School who received $1,000 for his school and third place was Morgan Hite of Hermitage Elementary School who received $500.
The truck with Abigail's artwork was featured in this year's Nashville Christmas Parade on December 1st. On Saturday, December 2nd, Public Works and Red River hosted a special viewing of all trucks displaying the winning artwork for the students and their families.
Metropolitan Nashville Sets All-Time Building Construction Record
2006 saw Metro’s biggest year in permits issued, second largest in residential permits and a whopping 25 percent increase in permits for residential additions and alterations.
“These numbers show the vitality and strength of Nashville’s economy,” said Mayor Bill Purcell. “We continue to grow in a healthy way, from the new skyscrapers coming downtown to the residential communities being built across the county, to the home renovations in the city’s older neighborhoods.”
Nearly $2 billion in building permits were issued through the Metropolitan Codes Administration during 2006 representing an all-time record for the city, according to Terry Cobb, Director of Codes and Building Safety. In 2006, $1,846,084,816 was issued in permits, which represents an 11 percent increase over 2005. Cobb said 2005 was, at the time, an all-time record with $1.663 billion in permits issued. There was a four percent increase in building permits in 2006 with 10,937 compared to 10,507 during 2005.
“More people appear to be purchasing homes and making renovations and alterations than in the past,” Cobb said. “This appears to confirm reports from around the nation indicating a continued strong interest in home remodeling as well as ’do it yourself projects’ by homeowners.”
Highest Immunization Rate for Two-Year-Olds
The Metro Public Health Department provided more than 40,000 immunizations to children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention presented Nashville with The Coverage Award for having the highest immunization rate ( 90 %) of two-year-old children living in urban areas in the United States.
Two New Community Centers Opened
The Parks Department opened two new community centers, Hartman and Parkwood Park, and initiated the construction of four additional centers along with three new nature centers and an interpretive center at Fort Negley. See the conceptual designs for the nature centers at http://www.nashville.gov/parks/conceptual_design_nc.htm