Overview

Moving towards the turn of the 21st century, city leaders across the nation, including Nashville, looked at their urban cores and did not like what they saw. Inner city poverty was rampant regardless of the measures taken to stem the tide, and crime rates were sky-rocketing. Walking in downtown Nashville in the early 1990s was not an option for Davidson County residents. As late as 1991, there was nothing going on in downtown Nashville after 5 p.m.

 

Two decades later, urban redevelopment is sprouting up in cities across the nation. As Metropolitan governments examine their economic core and rethink how to address social problems, they conclude that a vibrant inner city spurs creative thinking and solutions.

 

 

This case study examines how three different approaches for redevelopment projects in downtown neighborhoods can further growth. It will examine developments in The Gulch and Rolling Mill Hill, and how the city can learn from these projects to jumpstart economic life in the Capitol District in North Nashville – an area that African American leaders feel has long been neglected.

 

The case study in particular examines Rolling Mill Hill as a development that was city-driven, the Gulch where the catalysts for change came from the private sector, and then take a look at the Capitol District and what the recent move to place the new Sounds ballpark at Sulphur Dell could mean for the area.