Civic Design Center Annual Report July 1, 2019 - June 31, 2020
mission The Civic Design Center’s mission is to advocate for civic design visions and actionable change in communities to improve quality of life for all.
2
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
LETTER
The Civic Design Center was formed by a group of professionals and engaged residents who wanted to make sure that the communities’ voices were heard in the process of Nashville’s planning and urban design. Before I discuss our accomplishments, I would like to acknowledge the COVID-19 pandemic that affected not only our community, but the entire globe. Without the resilience of our staff, our board, and our sponsors, we may have struggled, but instead we made great strides as an organization by focusing on our deepest values and the root of our mission: to improve lives. Our biggest Annual Luncheon event in our history was held in November 2019, with the theme Socially Conscious Design – and featured Emilio Cabrero from Mexico City, Mexico. This set the Design Center on a course to take a renewed, formal stance on the historic injustices of urban design. This focus, and a generous sponsorship from Hastings Architecture, helped us kick-start the planning of a continuing education course for registered architects and community members emphasizing ways to integrate equity into community engagement, planning,
FROM the CEO design and development. The course was launched virtually in June 2020.
Additionally, due to critical funds provided by the Brown Family, the Design Center hired our first ever Communications Manager that enabled us to update our brand personality, mission, and visual identity in line with the transition to focus beyond Nashville as the “Civic Design Center.” Another goal was to make the brand more socially conscious overall, completely overhauling the website to be more user friendly and expand the organization’s reach. While those feats were accomplished, they took a different turn as the world became socially distant due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the organization had to vacate its newly renovated office to begin working from home over the past many months. Our digital reach became essential, and all engagement, Urban Design Forums and the Socially Conscious Design 101 course proceeded online. We published Reclaiming Public Space in Downtown Nashville Volume 2. We also continued our partnerships with University of Tennessee Knoxville College of
Architecture + Design and Mars Petcare’s Better Cities For Pets™ program; as well as transitioned our Design Your Neighborhood curriculum to a virtual format for Metro Nashville Public Schools. While our pivot to a virtual world has been rapid – and at times challenging, we have also seen the benefits of greater participation in numbers of attendees and participation from more voices – not only in Nashville, but from all across the country. Thank you for the virtual support you have sent us through emails exuding kindness, smiling faces over Zoom meetings, and maintaining confidence in our programs despite those that we haven’t been able to devote our resources to this year. Through all the challenges brought by 2020, we continue to advocate for civic design visions and actionable change in communities to improve quality of life for all.
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
3
Goals for the Following year:
As we look ahead to the next 20 years, we have committed to implementing the principles of socially conscious design throughout our work. We are committed to... • Taking an active role in listening to, learning from, and amplifying voices of those who have not been heard; • Advocating for diversity and inclusiveness in all aspects of design, development, place and policymaking; • Coalition building that supports those doing this critical advocacy work.
4
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
5
Event Highlights CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
Thank you to our partner, Global Furniture Group, that made it possible for our office to be completely transformed with beautiful new furniture. Construction began in the summer of 2019, and we hosted our grand opening in January. They provided the most major in-kind contribution that we have ever received and in response, we will be able to operate as a working showroom.
6
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
Due to the pandemic, we haven’t been able to take advantage of the beautiful office space as much as we would like, so we are looking forward to the collaboration that the newly designed space facilitates.
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
7
7 8
Urban Design Forums
3
1 8
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
Pecha Kucha Nights
Community Events
306
1 54
1 06
7
Event Participants
Design Center Members Annual Sponsors
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
9
EVENT Overview 0. Skyline Social 07.23.2019
1. Moved Into New Office 08.19.2019
0
2. PARK(ing) Day 09.20.2019
6. Mexico Design Week 10.07.201
3. Golden Cone Awards 09.26.2019
7. PKN: From the Streets to the Sky 10.24.2019
4.Chattanooga Placemaking Conference 10.01.2019
8. “Bark”let on 2nd Ave Installed 10.24.2019 9. Annual Luncheon: Socially Conscious Design 11.15.2019
5. Game of Rent Training 10.05.2019
6 8
5
3
4 4
0
1 2
10
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
10. CityThink: Engaging Youth to Shape The Future 11.20.2019
13
11. PKN: Placemaking 12.19.2019
14
12. New Year New Office Celebration 01.24.2020 13. UDF: The Soul of Music in Design 02.25.2020
18
14. PKN: Global 03.20.2020 15. UDF: Responsibly Responding to Disasters 3.31.20 16. Jane’s Walk 05.01.2020
10
18. Big Payback: Collaborative Conversations 05.07.2020
12
17. UDF: Adapting to Health Emergencies 05.27.20 19. UDF: Healing the Grid Reconnecting Communities - 06.24.20
12
11
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
Event Highlights
2018 Annual Luncheon Speaker, Majora Carter returned as part of the North Nashville revitalization work. Pictured below is Gary, Sharon Hurt and Majora after she gave a talk at the J.U.M.P. Christmas extravaganza about her path of development “from within” the Bronx community.
12
DESIGN CENTER Emilio Cabrero CIVIC came from ANNUAL REPORT Mexico City to speak at our 2019-2020 Annual Luncheon with the theme of Socially Conscious Design.
Programs Design With Pets In Mind Design Your Neighborhood
Tactical URBanism Orgnizers
13
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT Nashville 2019-2020
Urban Design Studio
WITH PETS Lotti INenjoying MIND the “Barklet” Our FY20 work on the Better Cities for Pets™ program with Mars Petcare, featured a focus on reclaiming public space for people and pets. In October 2019, we installed the first parklet in Nashville and the world’s first “barklet” that was highlighted in a People Magazine November issue. Parklets are areas, created as a public amenity often in a former roadside parking space. Barklets are similarly designed and showcase pet-friendly features such as water bowls, free waste bags, signage supporting responsible pet ownership practices and public health and more. The barklet will be maintained as a semi-permanent location in Nashville with learnings to advise future installations in Nashville and beyond.
Implemented first ever parklet in downtown Nashville
14
Informed responsible pet ownership
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
Featured in People Magazine for world’s first “barklet”
The Civic Design Center’s education program, Design Your Neighborhood, teaches youth how to problem-solve transportation and affordable housing issues in their neighborhoods while building awareness and exposure to the world around them.
Raised $10,000 grassroots funds Recorded podcasts Created neighbrohood maps Journaled from home
15
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
The Design Center takes issues and ideas for Tactical URBanism Organizers (TURBO) in the form of a “Work Order,” which locates the neighborhood problems on a map. We work with the people in that specific neighborhood community to analyze the problem, conceptualize a temporary intervention, then plan and execute the installation.
Published Tactical Urbanism Catalog
Recommended re-striping from Richland Park to Interstate Loop
16
Envisioned tactical urbanism in North Nashville
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
Implemented 12 South Traffic CIRCLE
Nashville Urban Design Studio The Civic Design Center maintains a strong partnership with the University of Tennessee Knoxville College of Architecture and Design. The Design Center coordinates various studies throughout the year that allow architecture students to study potential “real world” projects in Nashville. The Design Center recruits local stakeholders to review the student projects given their respective expertise.
Guided and reviewed student projects
Envisioned teacher housing called Tech Hill
Envisioned TSU Downtown Avon Williams Campus
17
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
dES IGN
STUDIO
Community Design Categories
education & Advocacy
reclaiming public space
Shaping healthy communities
Mobility & Land-USE
Socially Conscious Design 101 In order to transform ideas into reality, the Design Center aims to keep the Nashville community informed and willing to advocate for themselves. This culminates into regular events, like Urban Design Forum.
20
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
This past year, the Design Center launched a continuing education program called Socially Conscious Design 101.
Education & Advocacy
Socially Conscious Design 101 taught 40 students about how to take action for change in the civic design process. Project Outcomes At the end of this fiscal year, Socially Conscious Design 101, the 8-week continuing education course, began virtually with speakers able to tune in from Nashville, San Diego, Dallas, and more cities around the country. This was a timely expansion beyond Nashville as the organization was officially renamed as the “Civic Design Center,” committing to engaging in Nashville and partnering globally.
“The people who are going to make a better Nashville are people like me. I believe it is possible.” —Former DYN Intern featured in TFA documentary
One Day Magazine is the alumni magazine for Teach For America, exploring how our diverse network of alums pursues our vision of educational equity in myriad ways who made a documentary about two Design Your Neighborhood Students showcasing their understanding and experiences of gentrification.
Project Outcomes This documentary was showcased during our Grassroots fundraising event for Design Your Neighborhood in May 2020. Watch the TFA One Day Magazine Short Documentary at designyourneighborhood.org/ amplify-youth-voice
21
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
Reclaiming Public Space Vol. 2 Reclaiming Public Space centers around raising the quality and expanding the diversity of public spaces. Residents and local leaders should have tools to inspire and guide them to shape spaces for all.
22
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
We provide some tools for inspiration in publications, like Reclaiming Public Space Vol. 2.
Reclaiming Public Space
While Davidson County as a whole can say there is 1000 square feet of green space for every resident, far more than the World Health Organization’s baseline of 100 square feet per capita, the denser Downtown core and urban neighborhoods of Nashville are severely lacking.
Locations of Interest Church Street Park Downtown Riverfront Gay Street District TSU Avon Williams Campus Lafayette Street
Reclaiming Public Space Vol. 2 reopens the conversation for envisioning underutilized green spaces and transforming dangerous city blocks into pedestrianfriendly oases. Project Outcomes University of Tennessee Knoxville College of Architecture + Design students and Design Center Interns created dozens of renderings in various design styles to showcase possible visions for the locations of interest.
23
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
Vanderbilt Engineering Project The Design Center works with partners to promote safer, accessible, and more convenient connections between communities.
24
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
We also envision potential new developments, infrastructure, and transportation options to implement in the future by partnering with Vanderbilt University and University of Tennessee Knoxville.
Mobility & Land-Use
FY20 marks the second year that the Design Center worked with Vanderbilt Engineering students to assess the feasibility of Detached Accessory Dwelling Units (DADUs) in single-family zoned areas of Nashville to increase density yet maintain neighborhood character.
Locations of Interest Belmont-Hillsboro Project Outcomes The DADU student project group conducted an online survey of area residents to determine the interest or apprehension of having DADUs in the
neighborhood. The group used their engineering knowledge to establish the cost range of building these units as low as $80K and as high as $200K. They also made the case that with increased density there will be an increased need for transit as the parking supply will not increase with the number of residents.
25
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
NORTH NASHVILlE REVITALIZATION
Inspired by Shaping the Healthy Community: The Nashville Plan, our major research publication completed in 2016, the Design Center uses key built environment influencers upon public health to guide us.
26
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
Shaping Healthy Communities
After several projects of ours being located in North Nashville, the Design Center secured a major HCA grant to do a focused project with neighborhood stakeholders. The goal was to work with business leaders and the Jefferson Street United Merchant Partners (J.U.M.P.) in order to build coalitions for neighborhood revitalization from within. Since this Nashville community has had a history of negative urban “revitalization” happening to them, but
not with them, building trust and organizing community-led change was essential to the success of this project. Areas of Interest • Buchanan St • Greenway Activation • Fisk Steam Plant • Open Streets Fest • Jefferson St & 28th • Jubliee Singers Bridge Project Outcomes During the first year of this project, the Design Center built relationships
with the community, and organized community engagement sessions with TSU students, North Nashville Open Streets attendees, neighbors and other key stakeholders. The Design Center’s Design Studio created visualizations for key points along the Greenway extension that were specifically designed with North Nashville’s music history and community culture in mind. 3D renderings were created to visualize the Fisk Steam Plant as a gathering place, and various sketches were done for pocket parks along Buchanan Street and increased pedestrian safety around Jefferson Street and 28th Ave N.
27
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
28
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
Design Studio vision rendering of placemaking greenway
29
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
FI NANC IALS 30
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
INCOME
Grants (Restricted)
$234,624
Grants (Unrestricted)
$272,277
Institutions
$56,100
Major Donors
$21,258
Memberships
$45,889
Events & Projects
$19,598
Fundraising Miscellaneous In-Kind TOTAL INCOME
ASSETS
$1,232,788
Grants (Unrestricted)
20%
5%
Institutions
2%
Change in Net Assets
$115,417
EXPENSES with allocated personnel
$612,729
General Operations
$323,865
Fundraising
$102,579 $39,341
Communications
$20,589
National & International Outreach
$18,268
19%
22%
Fundraising
$394,431
Grants (Restricted)
Income
$326,580
Net Assets—End of Year
TOTAL EXPENSES
26%
$5,552
$279,014
Office Renovations
0.5%
$250,910
Net Assets—Beginning of Year
Events & Projects
Miscellaneous
In-kind
4%
Events & Projects
Membership
National & International Outreach
2%
Fundraising
9%
2%
Communications
4%
Office Renovations
Expenses
$1,117,371
29%
General Operations
2%
Major Donors
Events & Projects
55%
ANNUAL SPONSORS
PRESENTING SPONSORS
PROGRAM SPONSORS
32
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
KEYSTONE SPONSORS
Cornerstone SPONSORS ASLA Tennessee Barge Design Solutions Bell & Associates Construction Brasfield & Gorrie General Contractors Brookfield Crain Construction Cyril Stewart, AIA E3 Greator Nashville Regional Council
Greator Nashville Realtors Frist Art Museum Cumberland River Compact Destination Music City HCA Healthcare H. G. Hill Realty Company Highwoods Properties Historic Germantown IIDA Tennessee I. C. Thomasson Associates, Inc. Lumion Metro Nashville Public Works
Metro Parks Nashville Metro Public Health Department Metro Water Services Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency Metropolitan Nashville Planning Department Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce Aertson Midtown
33
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
Voussoir SPONSORS Catalyst Design Group CBRE Centric Architecture E3 Construction Services LLC GHP Environmental + Architecture Gilbert|McLaughlin|Casella Architects Gould Turner Group Hemalatha Gokhale Holladay Properties HRI Properties Kimley-Horn Lee Company Lose Design oneC1TY Pfeffer Torode Architecture S&ME Inc. Southeast Venture Stites & Harbison, PLLC Thomas & Hutton Tuck-Hinton Architecture & Design Urban Grout Commercial Real Estate Van Pond Architect PLLC W&A Engineering Compass Partners LLC Foundry Commercial
34
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
Ingram Industries Powell Architects Tennessee Concrete Association Anderson Design Studio Barge Cauthen & Associates CA South Development Certified Construction Services DPR Construction EOA Architects Freeman Webb Companies Hardaway Construction Hawkins Partners, Inc. HDLA Hoar Construction Manuel Zeitlin Architects, LLC MarketStreet NES Power Newbern Consulting Services, LLC Pillars Development Ragan-Smith Associates Smith Gee Studio Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. Studio 8 Design :: Matt Taylor, Architect TMPartners, PLLC Wold | HFR Design
Grants & Other Support The Brown Family Foundation Communications and General Organization Grant
Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County Government Programs, Events, and General Funds Grant
CORE Fund Neighborhood-based Grant
Miken Development Program Grant
Dell Technology Grant
National Institute of Justice and Vanderbilt University Design your Neighborhood Grant
Frist Foundation Short Term COVID Relief Tech Grant & Office Build-out funds
Scott C. Chambers Fund Neighborhood-based Grant
Greater Nashville Regional Council Transportation Projects Grant
United Way Tennessee Community CARES Program
HCA Foundation Neighborhood-based Grant
U.S. Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program
Ingram Industries Program Grant
Wells Fargo Foundation Program Grant
Lyft Project-based Grant
35
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
154
President’s Council Tara Armistead Melinda Buntin John Buntin Berdelle Campbell Scott Chambers Tifinie Capehart Meg Epstein Landon Ferrett Gary Gaston Hemalatha Gokhale LJ Hoke
36
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
MEMBERS Rita Hoke Eric Kopstain Jody Lentz Judson Newbern Larry Papel Shandi Paro Craig Philip David Powell Christopher Rowe Susannah Scott-Barnes Kim Shinn Anna Stout Steve Turner Judy Turner Ronald Yearwood
Advocates Kris Ahrend David Bailey Andrew Beaird Jennifer Carlat Laurel Creech Chris Dawson Rebecca Delaney Catherine Epstein Stephen Grant Tanisha Hall David Hendrickson Edward Henley III David Johnston Paul Kingsbury Neil Krugman Laura LoJacono Laura McCoy Ben Metz Lee Molette II Melanie Moran Carla Radford Ann Roberts Martha Silva Renata Soto Michelle Steele Irwin Venick Philip Welker Jim Yockey
Members
Daniel Alderman David Allard Ali Alsaleh Molly Alspaugh Suzanne Angele Clay Bailey Judy Bayer Fabian Bedne Terry Jo Bichell Adam Blair Kevin Bolger David Bordenkircher Sean Braisted Kathryn Branch Shanese Brown Parker Camp Elizabeth Cashion Miranda Clements Kallie Curtis Zaki Daouk Jessica Dauphin Eric Dilts Jim Douglas Brent Elrod Veronica Foster Juliet Garcia Matt Genova Melody Gibson
Megan Glenn Elwyn Gonzalez Cara Greene Karen Grubbs Erin Hafkenschiel Fuller Hanan Amy Hardin Jim Hawk Alan Hayes Eric Hoke Yolanda Jolley Josef Kaul David Keiser James Kennon Dahyun Kim Steven Klintworth Sara Lee Burd Clifford Lippard Justin Lowe Eric Malo Carlin Mayes Joseph Mayes Michele Mazzu Randall Mazzu Stephanie McCullough Kate Monaghan Kelsey Oesmann Micah Padgett David Paine Carrie Pavel
Michael Payne Alex Pemberton Douglas Perkins Chris Powers Rebecca Ratz Susie Ries Richard Ruach Kathleen S Barry Margaret Scott Jules Shainberg Fathiyah Shepard-Suso Mike Thompson Nancy VanReece Meagan Vaughn Benjamin Vaught Mary Vavra John Vick Lynn Walker Kaitlin Ward Kate Webster Kasey West Robert White Kathryn Withers Brian Wright
37
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
Gary Gaston
Chief Executive Director
Veronica Foster
38
Melody Gibson
Eric Hoke
Education Director
Design Director
Communications Manager
Project + Programs Manager
Joseph Mayes
Jules Shainberg
Taylor Young
Catrina Chatelain
Remi Lynch
Research Associate
Engagement Fellow
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
Finance Manager
Design Fellow
Jolie Ayn Yockey
Strategic Partnerships Director
Taylan Tekeli
Research & Design Assistant
STAFF
Andrew Beaird
Valarie Franklin
Dee Patel
PRESIDENT Core Development Services
Board Member Moody Nolan / NOMAnash
Board Member The Hermitage Hotel
Tifinie Capehart
Hemalatha (Latha) Gokhale
Eric Schultenover
Jennifer Carlat
Board Member Fairpointe Planning, LLC
Vice PRESIDENT Land Use Consultant / Urban Studies Adjunct, TSU Secretary Metropolitan Policy, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce
Irwin Venick
Treasurer Dobbins Venick, Kuhn & Byassee, PLLC
Cyril Stewart
Immediate Past PRESIDENT Cyril Stewart, LLC
Asia Dixon Allen Board Member Gresham Smith
Laurel Creech Board Member Civic Leader
Chris Davis
Board Member Hastings Architecture
Meg Epstein
Board Member California South Development
BOARD
Board Member Radiology Alliance
Tanisha Hall
Board Member Counsel On Call, Good People Brewing Company
Philip Shepard Board Member HOAR Construction
Edward Henley III Board Member Pillars Development
Martha Silva
Board Member Senior Director Of Economic Integration
Michael Kenner Board Member MiKen Development
Michelle Steele
Neil Krugman
Board Member Lipscomb University
Ben Metz
Board Member Mars Petcare
Board Member Waller, Lansden, Dortch & Davis Board Member ESa Architects
TK Davis
Lee O Molette II
Board Member Frank Stanton Developers, LLC
Ex-Officio University of Tennessee College of Architecture and Design
Rebecca Delaney
Board Intern SOM, Young Leaders Council
Melanie Moran
Board Member Vanderbilt University
Judson Newbern
Jam Stewart
Board Member Newburn Consulting Services
39
CIVIC DESIGN CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
Join today civicdesigncenter.org/member
CIVICDESIGNCENTER.ORG