Meet Rick Bernhardt
Executive Director of the Metro Planning Department
Rick grew up in Nashville and graduated from Glencliff High School. He began his professional planning career here before advancing to a number of other planning opportunities. Over his 30 years of service, Rick has focused on proactive, community-based planning. He has concentrated efforts on issues of affordable housing, neighborhood planning, urban design, sustainability, New Urbanism, linking transportation, and land use built on a foundation of meaningful community participation.
Rick returned to the Metro Planning Department in 2000. Since that time, the department has revised its mission statement and goals to reflect the needs for sustainable development in Davidson County. Rick has expanded public participation in the planning process through increased public meetings, improved notification and charrettes. He has led staff in completing comprehensive and detailed community plans and encourages decisions consistent with these plans.
Rick also has big plans for the future of Nashville and Davidson County. Look for these emerging objectives in the near future:
- Link transportation and land use decisions,
- Broaden the citizen-engaged neighborhood and community charrette planning process,
- Develop a 24-hour downtown,
- Implement programs to encourage the reuse of intown neighborhoods as quality places to live, and
- Adopt new land development regulations to permit and implement conservation subdivisions and traditional development proposals.
For 17 years (1982-99), Rick was the Director of the award-winning Planning and Development Department for the city of Orlando, Florida, with a staff of over 150 persons. As Orlando's Planning Director, Rick instituted an innovative growth management program. He used traditional design relationships in conjunction with multi-modal transportation investments and policies. By coordinating the timing and staging of development, the program led to achievements in specific land use and community objectives. While in Orlando, he founded the Orlando Neighborhood Improvement Corporation.
Rick
is a published author, is certified as an expert witness in state and
Federal courts in the areas of town planning and land use regulation,
and has been a lecturer and advisor at a multitude of universities,
state agencies, and land use organizations.
Prior to returning to Nashville, Rick directed EDAW's international Town Planning Studio focusing on traditional design projects. EDAW is known for integrating community planning, urban design, landscape architecture, environmental planning and natural resource management from 23 offices around the world (www.edaw.com).
Rick is a member of the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners and the American Planning Association where he received the Distinguished Service Award. In addition, he is a member of the Congress for the New Urbanism where he received the Catherine Brown award for outstanding work in the field of new urbanism. Among his recognitions are the Distinguished Alumnus Award from The Ohio State University and the Successful Community Award from 1000 Friends of Florida.
Rick has a Bachelor's degree in economics from Auburn University and graduated first in his class with a Master's degree in city planning from Ohio State University.