Our Green Nashville
Part II

Nashville is "turning green," slowly but surely. We have a strong foundation of local environmental organizations, a city that is trending towards greener practices, and a community that is now beginning to request green choices in our daily life. As a thriving metropolis, we are reinvesting in our city center; offering healthier transportation choices; educating citizens on use of recycling programs; and vocalizing and initiating concern for long-term sustainability. Most importantly, we are caring about our city's future.

Nashville is fortunate to have a growing parks and greenways system in our backyard. Numerous parks have been opened and enhanced, and more than 16 greenways are actively in use, while others are in development. This extensive progress can be linked to the 2003 Master Plan for Nashville's Parks and Greenways, which is a comprehensive blueprint for the development of the city's parks and recreational resources over the next 20 years. The Master Plan has and continues to be a catalyst for protecting important natural resources and valuable open space throughout Davidson County. Open space includes greenways, which are important to the health of our community because they connect neighborhoods to schools, shopping areas, downtown, offices, recreation areas, open spaces and other points of activity by providing valuable green space for conservation, recreation and alternative transportation. Check out all of Nashville's greenways and parks.

Public health and transportation go hand in hand: we need healthier, alternative modes of transportation, which will, in turn, lead to a healthier community. Fortunately, there are several local organizations and agencies concentrating on these important areas. The Metro Public Health Department has partnered with the Metro Planning Department and grassroots organizations such as Walk/Bike Nashville to form Music City Moves, a Robert Wood Johnson Active Living by Design coalition focused on increasing our sidewalks, bike lanes, crosswalks, and designed infrastructure supporting a healthy lifestyle. In addition, the Strategic Plan for Sidewalks and Bikeways was created in 2003.

Over the past four years, several new sidewalks and bikeways have been created and improved in much-needed areas. One of our largest barriers is educating people about how to use these built alternative modes of transportation and why they are important to the health of our neighborhoods and community. Metro Transit Authority has expanded its routes and number of buses, and now has easy-to-use bike racks on many buses. And, of course, we now have the Music City Star, Tennessee's first commuter rail service.

One of the lead organizations dealing with growth, transportation, policy and green design is Cumberland Region Tomorrow (CRT). The Cumberland Region affects Nashville directly, as this is where we live, share an economy, a transportation network, sports and cultural activities, places to work and shop, as well as environmental resources. Last year, CRT developed the Quality Growth Tool Box, which is designed to help our region succeed with quality growth strategies and projects in our community. Working with key regional leaders, local and state partner agencies, and professional consultants, the Tool Box offers practical tools, model programs, and technical resources and support organized under sustainable growth themes. On the same lines as the Quality Growth Tool Box, Cumberland River Compact is spearheading Building Outside the Box (BOB), a project to demonstrate sustainable building practices and stream restoration techniques to improve water quality in the Cumberland River Basin -- primarily to address the No. 1 pollutant in the Basin -- sediment! This low-impact development is both feasible and profitable to developers, builders and homeowners. The Compact offers groups, businesses, and concerned citizens the hands-on opportunity to adopt, protect and restore a stream for a period of two years through Project Blue Streams. Three out of four local streams pose a potential threat to human health or have impaired ecology, not supporting aquatic life.

Three strong assets to further enhance Nashville's "green-ness" are a brand-new web site, GreenerNashville.org; Middle Tennessee's chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council; and Nashville's outdoor adventure club, Team Green. GreenerNashville.org is for organizations and Nashville residents to connect and work together in an effort to make Nashville a greener city. Not only can you peruse the vast list of environmental local entities, but you can view a calendar listing and socially network with other individuals and groups who care about environmental issues and sustainable living in Nashville. The U.S. Green Building Council promotes buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. The local chapter is a great resource for owners/developers, local and state agencies, architects, engineers, contractors, and individual citizens looking for sustainable design movement. Unique to Nashville is the outdoor adventure club called Team Green. As a way to get Nashvillians active and immersed into a variety of outdoor activities, Team Green organizes more than 300 events a year and connects more than 5,000 participants annually to our region's outer beauty. The goal of Team Green is to engage the community in outdoor activities so that each individual takes that extra step to respect the environment, as well as challenge him/herself beyond the normal boundaries of life.

Article by Laurel Creech
WRLT Tuned-in Broadcasting
Team Green Director