NASHVILLIANS INVITED TO WEIGH IN ON WORKING DRAFT OF GOALS & IDEAS TO TAKE OUR COMMUNITY FORWARD

June 10, 2024

Public Online Feedback Window Opens Today, Closes June 30 

Nashville, Tenn. – [June 10, 2024] – Imagine Nashville released today a working draft of goals and ideas for action to guide Nashville forward over the next decade. The draft is available online at www.imaginenashville.org, and the community is invited to review and provide feedback. The online feedback window is open through June 30, 2024.

The working draft emerged based on findings from Imagine Nashville’s extensive community research process completed in March, coupled with efforts to engage the brightest minds working on these issues both here in Nashville and around the country.

“From the outset, Imagine Nashville has been about bringing together Nashvillians of all walks of life and experiences to imagine the city of our dreams and then to create an actionable set of goals and actions to get us there. The working draft we are releasing today is another step on that journey,” said Imagine Nashville Co-Chair Renata Soto. “But now we want to hear what people think about the draft goals and ideas for action. We want to know: what do you love, what’s missing, what needs greater clarity?”

Since March, Imagine Nashville has been working to take the results of its sweeping community-wide research process and to convene and consult with those who have professional and lived experiences related to the findings, including leaders from government, the business sector, philanthropy, neighborhoods, and nonprofits — as well as experts from other cities and regions.

Imagine Nashville also will continue to engage those who the research revealed feeling less belonging in Nashville, including Black/African-American residents, older adults, youth, the LGBTQIA+ community, and lower-income individuals and families. The hope is that these recommendations and ideas can help bridge that belonging gap and, in turn, forge a stronger sense of community across the city.

As announced in March, Imagine Nashville’s community-driven research process revealed five key priorities that must be addressed to ensure that all can feel a sense of belonging and thrive in our city for years to come:

  1. Increasing economic opportunity for Nashvillians through education and training.
  2. Addressing mobility and transit issues that will enable Nashvillians to safely, easily, and affordably connect to each other and the great amenities of the city.
  3. Increasing and improving housing options throughout the city that are attainable and affordable and meet the broad array of resident needs.
  4. Making neighborhoods great places to live and ensuring they contain all the necessities and amenities for a thriving life.
  5. Managing the impact of growth in a way that prioritizes the needs and values of all Nashvillians.

“Through the lens of the five core priorities found in our research, we have held an extensive series of meetings, convenings, and conversations around draft solutions and ideas for action. That work is continuing throughout this public feedback window,” said Imagine Nashville Co-Chair Alex Jahangir. “This is not a second survey. Instead, we are inviting community members to review these preliminary ideas and to share their specific feedback about what we got right and where we might need to adjust.”

The window to respond online to the draft goals and ideas for action is open now and will close on June 30, 2024. Imagine Nashville intends to release its final recommendations later this summer.

“Our sincere belief and great hope is that the ultimate set of goals and ideas for action we set forth will significantly improve the lives of all who live and work in Nashville over the next 10 years and beyond,” said Imagine Nashville Co-Chair John Faison, Sr. “In the end, we believe the business, philanthropic, government, nonprofit, faith-based, and civic sectors of our great city can lock hands and step forward together to reach these audacious goals. There is something to do here for every single person and group who calls Nashville home.”

About Imagine Nashville

Imagine Nashville is a citywide initiative guided by the belief that we as a community must share our dreams and ideas to shape our future. The yearlong effort began in the summer of 2023 and is slated to finish by summer of 2024. The initiative is co-chaired by the Rev. John Faison Sr., Dr. Alex Jahangir, and Renata Soto alongside a Steering Committee that includes a diverse group of neighborhood, civic, business, and nonprofit leaders. The work comprises two phases. The first phase included citywide attitudinal research that reached into every corner of the county to find shared values and priorities. The second phase seeks to use the research findings to bring forth a set of clear, specific, actionable recommendations that guides the city forward and keeps us all accountable for real results that Nashvillians can see and feel in their daily lives.

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