THE AIA 150 BLUEPRINT FOR AMERICA VISIONING WORKSHOP FOR ROBERTSON COUNTY ON PRESERVING RURAL OPEN SPACE AND REVITALIZING HISTORIC TOWN CENTERS SUMMARY REPORT A partnership of AIA Middle Tennessee, City of Springfield, Cumberland Region Tomorrow, Greater Nashville Regional Council, Nashville Civic Design Center, Robertson County, and the University of Tennessee College of Architecture + Design April 27-28, 2007 Held at First United Methodist Church in Springfield, Tennessee
Springfield Historic Courthouse Square
Historic Barn Structure in Robertson County
This report was produced by T. K. Davis, Design Director at the Nashville Civic Design Center and Associate Professor at the University of Tennessee College of Architecture + Design.
ROBERTSON COUNTY VISIONING WORKSHOP EXECUTIVE SUMMARY On Friday and Saturday, April 27 and 28, 2007, citizens of Robertson County convened in the United Methodist Church in Springfield for a Visioning Workshop on “Preserving Rural Land and Revitalizing Town Centers.” This was the first of three workshops being convened this year in Middle Tennessee as part of the American Institute of Architects 150 Blueprint for America Initiative, which celebrates through community interaction the AIA’s 150th birthday. In Middle Tennessee, this AIA program focuses on the challenges communities’ face undergoing rapid growth. Prior discussion with Robertson County leadership indicated that there existed significant concern over the quality of its growth patterns, and the need to retain its traditional character while undergoing sustainable growth. Robertson County is the first such workshop, with subsequent workshops scheduled for Lebanon and Kingston Springs. There are two essential elements in the AIA Middle Tennessee initiative. The first is to address problems of growth and town centers through the AIA‘s Ten Principles of Livable Communities, and second, to get AIA architects intensively engaged for a two-day period with the citizens of the three selected communities. In the case of Robertson County, while all concerned citizens in the county were welcome to participate, letters of invitation were sent out to significant stakeholders throughout the various localities within the county including builders, landowners, farmers, business owners, elected and appointed civic leaders and planners. A concerted effort was made to reach out to essentially everyone involved as a stakeholder in the county’s future development growth. The attendance both days were both robust and energetic. Approximately 95 citizens convened on Friday afternoon, while approximately 75 met on Saturday morning. Invited stakeholders were strongly encouraged to participate in both days of the workshop, because both the education and visioning discussions during both days were mutually reinforcing, although attendance at either day alone was also very beneficial. On Friday, following a welcome by County Mayor Howard Bradley, an overview by Cyril Stewart, AIA, of Vanderbilt University, and an orientation by T. K. Davis, AIA, of the University of Tennessee and the Nashville Civic Design Center, attendees viewed the provocative national public television documentary by Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas Hylton entitled Save Our Land, Save Our Towns. This comprehensive overview of the history and issues of post-war American growth challenges underscored the point that conserving rural land and revitalizing town centers are mutually
reinforcing intentions. Kimberly Nyberg, Director of the Tennessee Main Street Program, followed with a presentation on “Revitalizing Town Centers.” At that point, the entire room broke out into groups of approximately eight citizens at each table led by one or more architects serving as facilitators. Five questions derived from the AIA’s Ten Principles of Livable Communities were addressed by each table, and then responses and ideas were prioritized, and reported back to the room as a whole. Saturday was similar in its structure. Following greetings and general information, Dodd Galbreath of URS and Eileen Hennessy of the Land Trust for Tennessee offered a presentation on “Preserving Rural Open Land.” After this, T. K. Davis made a presentation on “Communities by Design.” At this point, the entire group once again broke out into small groups, led by architect facilitators, to address another five questions derived from the AIA’s Ten Principles of Livable Communities. Drawing on base maps was encouraged; ideas and responses were prioritized by the citizens and then again reported back to the room as a whole. All of the recorded results of the workshop discussions were collected and transcribed by the Nashville Civic Design Center, with similar ideas from the different tables grouped into “affinity” clusters. The results of this exercise, listed as “what we heard” and characterized as citizen recommendations, are found on the subsequent four pages in this Summary Report. Of the many observations and ideas expressed in this report, three major points should be underscored. First, there does appear to be a clear consensus that there needs to be county-wide action to ensure future quality growth will occur to the satisfaction of the citizens of the county. Second, discussion and planning needs to be undertaken county wide, across the political jurisdictions of the many towns within Robertson County; what one town’s actions do can have profound impact on an adjacent township, and therefore regional thinking is essential. And third, because the townships of Robertson County are relatively small, and therefore very limited in their in-house professional planning resources, Cumberland Region Tomorrow’s recently introduced Quality Growth Toolbox should be a primary resource document in the future planning of the County. This document contains tools, incentives, resources, and contacts for public officials to implement the recommendations of county citizens expressed in this visioning workshop, including the desire to ensure economic vitality through quality growth.
WORKSHOP RECOMMENDATIONS – “WHAT YOU TOLD US ON FRIDAY” Based on THE AIA TEN PRINCIPLES OF LIVABLE COMMUNITIES
Principle One: DESIGN IN A HUMAN SCALE How could your community or all of Robertson County become more compact and pedestrian friendly? There is a need for smart growth through countywide planning and design. Smart growth requires planning both where and how you want to grow, as well as where and how you don’t want to grow. It also requires changing regulations to match your desired outcomes. (30 dots) Renovate or adaptively reuse underutilized building stock throughout the county, uch as the tobacco warehouses in Springfield. (19) Rehabilitate and extend sidewalks. (17) Continue the improvements made already to downtown Springfield—which as county seat, and a traditional American square, embodies the “downtown” of everyone in the county. (14) Provide more flexibility with regulations, codes, zoning and distance requirements to promote growth within the footprint of existing infrastructure. (13) Expand the greenway trail systems—they are very popular. (11)
Principle Two: PROVIDE CHOICES What housing, shopping, recreation, or employment choices are currently missing in either your community or all of Robertson County? Restaurants (including liquor by the drink), family entertainment, and unique, locally focused shopping alternatives were cited as lacking. (33) Employment that requires higher education and higher pay, with office parks and housing options for this market, were cited as lacking. (32) Recreational options for young people are needed. (17) A broader range of quality housing options, including high-end multi-family, downtown lofts, and affordable (or workforce) housing, as well as shelter for the homeless, is needed. (13)
Principle Three: ENCOURAGE MIXED USE DEVEPMENT Where and how should mixed-use development, integrating different land uses and varied building types, be encouraged in your community or Robertson County in general? Mixed use is encouraged for Springfield, especially around the Square and Main. (18)
Principle Four: PRESERVE URBAN CENTERS How can we encourage the establishment or revitalization of your community’s town center, or Robertson County’s town centers in general? Identify and offer diverse financial incentives for quality town center development. (33) Provide friendly cooperation from the City of Springfield to community groups, working together, to form public / private partnerships. (19) Encourage festival events and downtown marketing. (11)
Principle Five: VARY TRANSPORTATION What traditional transportation options, including waking, biking, driving, and public transit, are needed in your community or Robertson County in general? Rail / bus transit into large employment areas is needed. (19) Local public transportation options (between communities) are needed. (10) Require, increase and improve sidewalks. (10)
WORKSHOP RECOMMENDATIONS – “WHAT YOU TOLD US ON SATURDAY” Based on THE AIA TEN PRINCIPLES OF LIVABLE COMMUNITIES
Principle Six: BUILD VIBRANT SPACES What are the best public spaces in your community, and Robertson County in general, and where could new, memorable public spaces be established? Existing Courthouse Square in downtown Springfield. (18) Both existing and new parks, including pocket parks and athletic fields under development, are among the best public places. (15) Establish a Farmers market. (11) Use greenway connectors to parks, shopping, neighborhoods, etc. (10)
Principle Seven: CREATE NEIGHBORHOOD IDENTITY How would you describe “the sense of place” in your community, or Robertson County in general? An open, rural scenic countryside with small towns, yet I close proximity to Metropolitan Nashville. (22) County history and culture, for example “whiskey, weed, witch and more.” (15)
Principle Eight: PROTECT ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES What environmental resources in your community or Robertson County in general need to be protected and preserved? All natural water features in the landscape countywide should be protected and preserved as environmental resources. (55) Farms and woodlands should be protected and preserved as environmental resources. (15) Farmlands and woodlands should be protected and preserved as environmental resources. (15)
Principle Nine: CONSERVE LANDSCAPES Where should open space, farms and wildlife habitat be preserved in your community, or throughout Robertson County? Concentrate city centers where they now exist, thereby preserving open space, farms and wildlife habitat in the north and west of the county. (24) All natural water features in the landscape (countywide) should be preserved as open space and wildlife habitat. (23) Retain open space, farmlands and wildlife habitat where it already exists to the fullest extent possible—encouraging concentrated growth around it. (10)
Principle Ten: DESIGN MATTERS How do you feel design excellence can promote successful and healthy communities throughout Robertson County? Express a vision for quality growth, and then shape your planning and zoning accordingly throughout the county, in order to reduce sprawl, reduce community infrastructure, and maintain green space. (28) Keep design standards high and variances low. (21) Promote a distinct look and identity for the town centers, through reservations, “Main Street” principles, buried utilities, etc. (12)
CUMBERLAND REGION TOMORROW QUALITY GROWTH GUIDING PRINCIPLES The Cumberland Region Tomorrow Quality Growth Toolbox should be utilized as a primary resource document in the future planning of Robertson County. This is the most significant observation made by the workshop’s participating leadership of AIA Middle Tennessee, Cumberland Region Tomorrow, Greater Nashville Regional Council, Nashville Civic Design Center and the University of Tennessee College of Architecture + Design. This document contains topical information on strategies, tools, incentives, resources and contacts for public officials to implement the recommendations of county citizens expressed in this visioning workshop, including the desire to ensure economic vitality through quality growth. The Quality Growth Toolbox Guiding Principles are the following: •
Guide our region’s growth with comprehensive community plans.
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Update zoning, subdivision and building codes to implement community plans.
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Use design to protect and enhance our region’s diversity of community character.
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Redevelop and strengthen our region’s cities, towns and rural communities to ensure a range of unique lifestyle choices.
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Create a variety of housing choices for our region’s diverse workforce.
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Conserve our region’s land, water, natural and cultural resources for our future economic, health, and social wellbeing.
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Link land use and transportation planning to promote an integrated framework to guide growth and development.
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Guide public and private investment to efficiently use pre-existing infrastructure and developed land.
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Think and act regionally to ensure our future livability and economic vitality.
WHAT WORKED WELL IN THESE WORKSHOPS? SELECTED COMMENTS FROM PARTICIPANTS: “Everyone discussed all phases of the program—and this caused a lot of good ideas and recommendations out (of) the meeting that will project us into a good environment in the future. The leadership was excellent. I believe this will result in changes in Robertson County. Gave a sense of togetherness and we were part of future planning.” “Mixture of multi-experienced people at each table. The ability to express whatever was the concern of each person at the table. New ideas that I haven’t that thought and old ideas I had that (were) reinforced by learning others had the same concern.” “Having a well-trained facilitator in each group to keep discussions moving on to (the) subject(s) brought on Saturday. Having the speakers using slides and also having open ideas for question and answer sessions but trained for keeping focused on visioning, not solving.” “Process provided opportunity for everyone to participate.” ”Once people started talking they were passionate about their town—that’s nice to see. Opportunities like this are great for communities.”
WE ARE GRATEFUL TO THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE WORKSHOPS: American Institute of Architects Middle Tennessee City of Springfield City of White House Commerce Union Bank Cumberland Region Tomorrow F & M Bank Greater Nashville Regional Council Nashville Civic Design Center Robertson County Association of Realtors Robertson County Mayor’s Office Springfield / Robertson County Chamber of Commerce The Farmers Bank University of Tennessee College of Architecture + Design