Mayor's Challenge and Plan Kickoff
"Opportunities for Cities to Lead Tomorrow's World"
Gov. Parris Glendening, President, SmartGrowth America Leadership Institute
February 16, 2013
Main Library, 615 Church Street
Nearly five hundred guests and volunteers participated in the first NashvilleNext public event, hearing comments from Gov. Glendening and Mayor Karl Dean, participating in small-group discussions, and sharing their thoughts on sticky notes and small whiteboards.
Video
Presentations at the kickoff event, including moderator Aundrea Cline-Thomas of NewsChannel 5, a performance by Southern Word (begins at 2:39), and comments from Planning Department executive director Rick Bernhardt (begins at 14:11), Gov. Parris Glendening (begins at 19:10) and Mayor Karl Dean (begins at 48:05)
On-demand webstream of Governor Glendening's presentation
Selected comments from a conversation with Governor Glendening:
"Smart growth is actually a very conservative approach."
Appropriate growth comes from appropriate policy
Equitable reinvestment is crucial
Public input and comment
The NashvilleNext process began with a survey of over 1100 local leaders and community members, matched as closely as possible to our city's economic and ethnic profile. Positive measurements, the report says, "are almost off the charts." And, as you might expect, most of those surveyed listed jobs, education, public safety, and a clean environment as their highest priorities.
Read the "Issues Survey" report
Many of the nearly 500 community members who attended the NashvilleNext kickoff event shared their thoughts and opinions, built around three essential questions:
- What do you love about Nashville?
- What needs to be improved?
- What is your vision for Nashville's future?
Read comments received at the kickoff event
The arts and NashvilleNext
Each NashvilleNext Speakers' Series event includes a performance or presentation by local artists, in cooperation with the Metro Nashville Arts Commission.
Poets from the Southern Word performance collective opened this event with selections from their groundbreaking collaborative, Future Break, and that performance is included in the video shown above. Link to the Future Break trailer on YouTube
Southern Word conducts spoken word school residencies, after school workshops, open mics, and shows. Spoken Word, or performance poetry, is a proven youth development, literacy, and leadership tool across the country.