NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Imagine Nashville, a community-led effort to develop a bold, actionable vision for the future of Nashville, launched a community-wide survey with the aim of collecting thousands of pieces of input about what should come next.
The survey is one of a host of different strategies being deployed over the course of the next
several months, culminating in the creation of a concrete, specific, actionable plan with
transparency and accountability for results. The idea is to have one, unified vision that can
harness the resources of government, philanthropy, nonprofit organizations, the business
community and more.
“Nashville has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, bringing with it both new opportunities and new challenges. As we look ahead, we need a ‘North Star’ – a shared vision and actionable plan rooted in the values and aspirations of all Nashvillians,” said Imagine Nashville Co-Chair Dr. Alex Jahangir. “The community survey is one of many ways we’re asking Nashvillians to weigh in. We want every neighborhood, every voice, every idea.”
Anyone who lives or works in Nashville is asked to weigh in. The survey can be taken online at www.imaginenashville.org and is available in English, Spanish, Chinese and Arabic. In the coming weeks, paper copies of the survey and physical drop-boxes will be placed at area Nashville Public Library branches as well as FiftyForward locations, with additional locations coming soon.
“This is your city. And it should be your dreams that shape our future. But that happens only if we all share our worries, our dreams and our best ideas,” said Imagine Nashville Co-Chair Rev. John Faison at a speech before the Nashville Rotary Club earlier this month.
“This is a once-in-a- generation opportunity to do something that changes the trajectory of not just our community, but the actual people who call it home. Let’s not miss this opportunity to do something transformational.”
The community survey is one of dozens of elements of a yearlong endeavor:
Phase 1 underway now is about digging deep to really understand what everyday
Nashvillians think is working and not and, more importantly, to identify a set of shared
values that cut across traditional geographic, socio-economic, ethnic and age differences. The community survey is one of several different attitudinal tools being used.
Phase 2 is about working together to identify the path forward. This will come from many different convenings and community engagement efforts in neighborhoods all across the city to brainstorm for solutions and agree upon a set of ambitious but achievable “ideas for action” to guide the work of many across the city. Every Nashvillian is being asked to give five minutes to share their thoughts on what’s working and not in the city, what makes an ideal neighborhood, and how to best tackle issues of affordability and housing, transportation and mobility, education, and more.
“One of the things I love most about Nashville is that it is such a diverse, welcoming community. That’s one of the things that makes Nashville not just where I live, but the place I call home,” said Imagine Nashville Co-Chair Renata Soto. “But for us to be our best, we must make sure the future is bright not just for some, but for all. This survey is the first step toward identifying what we need to do to make sure Nashville is a place where everyone feels they belong, and everyone feels they are sharing in the success of the city.”
Embedded in all the Imagine Nashville work is an intentional effort to engage not just adults but also young people. As a result, there is a parallel youth survey underway (for Nashvillians under 18). Young people can weigh in at https://youth.civicdesigncenter.org/high-school/dream-city.
The youth survey is being conducted in partnership with the Civic Design Center’s Nashville Youth Design Team.
Imagine Nashville is co-chaired by the Rev. John Faison Sr., Dr. Alex Jahangir and Renata Soto and led by a 26-member steering committee that includes a diverse group of neighborhood, civic, business and nonprofit leaders.
The committee is working alongside the co-chairs to ensure the survey and ensuing dialogue reach into every corner of our 526-square-mile county and that stakeholders and organizations across the city are fully engaged in the effort.
For more information about Imagine Nashville, please visit www.imaginenashville.org.
