Nashville can learn growth lessons from Atlanta

NASHVILLE — For many, a mention of Atlanta conjures long commutes, snarled traffic and suburban sprawl.

But an innovative transit redevelopment project around Nashville’s downtown could provide some lessons for planners and government officials in the Nashville region, which is grappling with its own growth.

On Thursday, the brainchild behind the Atlanta Beltline outlined the $4 billion infrastructure undertaking during The Power of Ten, a one-day summit for leaders from the 10 counties that comprise the broader Nashville region. The summit is produced by Cumberland Region Tomorrow, a nonprofit that encourages better growth planning.

“The whole focus of the day was not how to just accommodate growth, but to plan better how we grow,” said Carol Hudler, CEO of the planning organization.

The Beltline is a 22-mile loop of bike and pedestrian trails, a modern streetcar system and parks. It’s all based on former railroad corridors that encircle Atlanta.

Built to connect 45 neighborhoods, the transit-oriented redevelopment project includes hundreds of affordable workforce homes, free fitness classes, an arboretum, an urban farm and a large public art installation.

As cities large and small boom across the South, civic leaders have an opportunity to build public infrastructure that creates economic growth and benefits people from all walks of life, said Ryan Gravel, an urban designer who conceived the Beltline plan when he was a master’s student at Georgia Tech University. He now runs his own company, Sixpitch.

“Not changing is not an option,” Gravel said after his presentation. “The question is, can you leverage that change for something good?”

He said the Beltline plan preserves the city’s limited green space and promotes “equitable” growth with low-income housing, and options for healthy recreation and mobility.

Nashville’s freight railways are still very active, so the exact idea isn’t meant to be replicated, but some of the concepts and civic engagement could apply to Nashville, Gravel said, particularly for future mass transit planning. In May, Nashville voters rejected a $5.4 billion mass transit plan.

The Beltline won approval after a grassroots movement that mobilized advocates for parks, art, economic development and other causes.

Nashville did grow by more than 100 people a day last year

“We need to build a broad movement of people around a vision,” Gravel said.

At Thursday’s summit Hudler announced she was retiring from her post as CEO and would volunteer on the Cumberland Region Tomorrow board of directors.

Reach Mike Reicher at mreich er@tennessean.com or 615-2598228 and on Twitter @mreicher.