Nashville, Tenn. (TN Tribune)-The Jefferson Street Historical Society is taking steps to beautify the historic Jefferson Street corridor. The organization is applying for Metro Nashville’s NDOT Tactical Urbanism Permit, a program that provides up to $20,000 in funding for community organizations to install projects that meet specific criteria. The funding is awarded quarterly, based on a competitive scoring system outlined in the Tactical Urbanism Funding Program Project Prioritization Guide.
The society’s application centers around a project that aims to enhance the street’s visual appeal while preserving and amplifying its rich history and culture. In partnership with local arts group 37208 Creates, the Jefferson Street Historical Society plans to install artistic crosswalks that celebrate the past, present, and future of this culturally significant district. The initiative will combine vibrant artwork with historical narratives, creating an engaging experience for both residents and visitors.
Tactical urbanism, the approach underpinning this project, involves using temporary measures to test solutions to public space challenges. Often referred to as “planning by doing” or “pop-up urbanism,” this method has been part of Nashville’s community planning since 2012, when the Civic Design Center introduced the city’s first Park(ing) Day. The Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT) has since developed a Tactical Urbanism Guide to help local groups design, permit, and implement such projects.
