Earlier this month, the Civic Design Center’s Nashville Youth Design Team presented on Belmont’s campus at the O’More College of Architecture and Design. They proposed their “Dream City,” comprising four ideas for improvements around the Nashville area.
Photo by: Veronica Foster
The team formed in 2020 with 9th-12th grade students from across Davidson County, with the goal of providing “the next step for civic-oriented young people to make change in their communities.” The program is youth-led and follows a cycle of research, ideation, presentation, advocacy and implementation.
In 2021, they began searching for a prime location to meet. O’More had recently launched their architecture program and built new state-of-the-art facilities, so the partnership became a natural fit. “What better place for us to meet than an actual architecture studio? It also gives the high school students a college campus experience over the summer and exposure to Belmont,” said Melody Gibson, education director for the Civic Design Center.
This year’s project began with a “Dream City Workshop,” where the students engaged with 500 Nashville youth and conducted a survey to help gather information on their experience in the city and conceptualize their ideal Nashville. They asked Nashville youth about their favorite and least favorite things in Nashville, how safe they feel, how much they feel they belong, etc.
Photo by: Veronica Foster
“Dream City is a place made for youth, where the only limit is their imagination,” the team said during their presentation on Aug. 3.
The average sense of safety score was 5.75 out of 10, with an average sense of belonging score of 6.27. Students favorite thing about Nashville are the ample amount of things to do, including live music and shopping. If able, they would change the crime rates, cost of living, increase pedestrian safety by lessening traffic and adding more places to walk, increase neighborhood connections and put a larger focus on improving schools.
Using this research data, the NYDT came up with a list of top priorities to guide their “Dream City” designs: youth-centered spaces, transportation, affordability and proximity. Each of the four groups chose a different priority and location, with all keeping safety at the forefront, as well as creativity, learning, health and socialization. Ideas included creating a youth center area at Centennial Park, reimagining Clarksville Pike, creating more accessible youth bus routes around the city and developing more interactive elements at Cedar Hill Park.
The work culminated in a final presentation in front of friends, family, design professionals, O’More faculty and staff and other Belmont community members. Audience members voted on a winning idea to be further pursued by the team, and students will begin advocating for more teen-centered spaces in Centennial Park inspired by their project this spring.
After the presentation, each student took time to reflect on their experience and how it has propelled them into their future. “I am hoping to do some type of civil engineering in college,” said Uma, an 11th-grade student. “We’re looking at the world’s problems and how to solve them – and doing it to help the community.”
Other students revealed their dreams of becoming city planners, interior designers, artists, architects and more. “Ever since I was little I’ve been a person of design,” said Promise, a 9th-grade student. “This team has really helped me express my creativity.”
Collaborating to provide opportunities for young designers is a pillar of O’More College, and the partnership with the NYDT is a large part of those efforts. “It was truly inspiring to see how the students approached each design challenge and to understand their perspectives on priorities for our growing city,” said Emily Kynerd, assistant to the dean for O’More. “It is so rewarding to play a part in shaping Nashville’s creative community by supporting programs like this!”