By John Cooper Candidate for Nashville Mayor Nashville will grow more in the next five years than in the last five years. As we grow, we need to make sure that Nashville remains a livable city. That requires investments in infrastructure — in roads, traffic lights, sidewalks and crosswalks and in public transportation that residents use. We need transportation improvements that allow residents to get around the county better and experience all that Nashville has to offer. We all agree that Nashville has traffic and transportation problems. Time spent in traffic is increasing. Pedestrian deaths are on the rise; 62…
Author: John Cooper
By John Cooper Nashville Mayoral Candidate Nashville has focused on one half of the growth equation: buildings and economic incentives. Measuring by the number of cranes you’ll spot downtown on any given day, we are doing well by that measure. Economic growth and tourism has created a bustling downtown that attracts people and businesses from around the world. We should celebrate that! But how are Nashville’s residents doing? It is time to assess how all this growth has served us. It is clear that access to affordable housing is a concern across the city, as is transportation, public safety, and…
By John Cooper People may move here for the city, but they’ll stay for the neighborhoods. I am honored to be endorsed by the political committee affiliated with the Coalition of Nashville Neighborhoods: the Nashville Neighborhood Defense Fund. My job as your mayor will be to ensure that everyone benefits from our city’s growth. Nashville needs to remain a great place to live, not just a great city to visit. It’s time to put our focus back on our neighborhoods. Let’s create a city that works for everyone. Neighborhoods are a cornerstone of each of my policy discussion pieces. Here…
By John Cooper Nashville is at a crossroads. For the past four years, I have served as an at-large Metro Council member. In the process, I’ve learned a lot about how this city is being run. What I’ve learned concerns me. Simply put, the Mayor’s office has lost track of the public’s priorities. It values promoting development, not protecting our quality of life. It has given millions of dollars in taxpayer funds to developers who don’t need them and has ignored our schools, our traffic, and our affordable housing crisis. Misplaced priorities and missed opportunities aren’t the only problems. City…