Project Feature Representation Pillar

Follow planning, design and development processes that are grounded in community involvement.

Inclusion

Tennessee is spearheading an initiative to create a community center that creates a welcoming and safe environment for LGBTQIA+ community members to belong and thrive. This includes connecting community members, aligning and creating relevant programming, addressing the existing gaps, and building resiliency among current LGBTQIA+ serving organizations.

The Civic Design Center was hired by Inclusion Tennessee to conduct further community engagement and data collection to inform the future community center’s design features. We hosted an engagement booth at Nashville PRIDE, design charrette at Thistle Farms as well as a virtual community feedback session. We collected community feedback on geographic locations for where people would like to see LGBTQIA+ resources in Middle Tennessee

What and the results spanned 22 counties! This demonstrated that community centers are greatly needed in rural areas.

Feedback for priority community center design elements as well as desired resources and programming features. The top 3 components that community members want to see in the future Center are a health clinic, a nonprogrammed cafe or community area to make organic connections, and having a controlled access space so community members can truly feel safe inside the Center. Stay tuned as the project progresses into more design visioning as Inclusion Tennessee seeks funding to build the Center.

A solid, foundational place to foster the sharing of resources, acessing safe living, and building community growth and progress.