DAVIDSON COUNTY OPEN SPACE PLAN

Davidson County’s rich tapestry of farmland, historic landscapes and rivers and streams have long inspired artists, attracted entrepreneurs and corporations and drawn college students and retirees looking to call Nashville home. To nurture these assets, and ensure that future generations will be equally inspired, the Open Space Plan for Davidson County was launched.

Motivated by Nashville Mayor Dean’s Green Ribbon Committee recommendation to make open space planning a priority for Davidson County, the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County and The Land Trust for Tennessee formed a public/private effort in 2009.  With funding from The Martin Foundation and the Metro Council, The Land Trust for Tennessee organized an intense search for a cutting-edge team to undertake a year-long planning and public involvement process for crafting the open space plan.

In the fall of 2009, after reviewing proposals from across the county, the selection committee picked a team led by The Conservation Fund - a national nonprofit conservation organization with a dual charter of environmental protection and economic development. The Fund is joined by ACP Visioning+Planning, Clarion Associates and Nashville-based Hawkins Partners on the project team. This team of nationally recognized firms is each known for excellence in their specific areas of expertise and has consistently demonstrated creativity in open space planning, public involvement and innovative policy and implementation solutions for a variety of metropolitan areas with urban, suburban and rural conservation contexts.

Just as communities need to strategically direct development to maintain and enhance quality of life, communities also need strategic conservation to accommodate growth while maintaining a healthy environment. The infrastructure that sustains a community is both built (e.g. roads, utilities) and natural (e.g. drinking water, clean air, forests). The Fund’s green infrastructure approach to open space planning identifies priorities and opportunities, and develops a framework for conservation and development of these resources for use and adoption by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville, Davidson County and its municipalities, and The Land Trust for Tennessee. This effort will position Nashville as a national leader in conservation-led development, green economic growth and preservation of both natural and cultural resources.

The project is managed by The Land Trust for Tennessee with direct involvement from a technical advisory committee comprised of a broad range of public and private sector leaders.  There will be a wide range of opportunities for community input during the planning process in 2010. 

 About the Team:

The Conservation Fund is dedicated to advancing America’s land and water legacy. With our partners, we conserve land, train leaders and invest in conservation at home. Since 1985, we have helped protect more than 6 million acres, sustaining wild havens, working lands and vibrant communities. We're a top-ranked conservation organization, effective and efficient.

Website http://www.conservationfund.org/

ACP Visioning and Planning places citizens at the heart of physical planning, helping diverse interests find a common path toward creating better communities and better places. Working with communities across the nation has given ACP extensive experience addressing planning challenges such as operating in multi-jurisdictional conditions, managing growth, supporting sustainability, retrofitting suburbs, and maintaining sense of place and character. We address those challenges in ways that are inclusive, transparent, and efficient. As a result our plans are broadly supported, reflect local needs and aspirations and lead to implementation. 

Website http://www.acp-planning.com/

Hawkins Partners, Inc, has worked for over two decades to connect people to community through our practice of landscape architecture based on the revelation of the unique sense of place of each commission.  With a focus on long term sustainability, we provide solutions that satisfy the client’s needs while strengthening the relationship between cultural, social and natural systems  

Website http://www.hawkinspartners.com/

Clarion Associates, a national land-use consulting firm, is nationally known for its expertise in land use plan development and implementation. An unusual combination of talents in city and regional land use planning, community design, land use law, and real estate economics enables Clarion to develop creative solutions to difficult land use, sustainable development, and design problems.

Website http://www.clarionassociates.com/