Nashville Bits and Pieces

[Canuck87]

7 hours ago, Nashtitans said:

These canadian cities look better than most US cities.

Cities in Canada very much reflect the cultural values of Canadians. By and large, Canadians have embraced urban living to a far greater extent than people in the southern states. They value things like walkable cites, public transit, etc. 

Using Calgary as an example, the city has a metro population of roughly 1.2 million. Despite that, it has an extensive light rail system (the CTrain) that has a daily ridership of over 300,000, and about half the people who work downtown take the train to work. Likewise, Calgary has the most extensive urban pathway and bikeway network in North America, complete with over- and underpasses. You can basically walk or bike anywhere in the city without having to use a street.

The good thing is that Nashville is starting to catch on and more and more people here are beginning see the value in things like this. I'm hoping the trend will continue.

[PaulChinetti]

23 hours ago, smeagolsfree said:

Nashville is sorely lacking in pre WW II masonry buildings that really adds to the fabric of a city. A great example is Carson Street in  Pittsburg and somewhat to a lesser degree is Bardstown rd. in Louisville. The northern cities will always be ahead of us in that area with two exceptions being Birmingham which has a decent stock, once being called the Pittsburg of the south, and the other city in the south that is more like a northern city is NOLA.

 

Why is that, with the masonry buildings? Is it the large fire that happened in 1916?

Caption: "The Great Fire of 1916 started in one of the woodworking mills near the banks of the river. Destruction from the fire can be seen in the two photos above. Drive by gale force winds, the flames burned nearly 650 structures over 31 blocks."

From "Nashville Yesterday & Today" by Nicki Pendleton Wood

[Nashville Cliff]

27 minutes ago, PaulChinetti said:

Why is that, with the masonry buildings? Is it the large fire that happened in 1916?

Caption: "The Great Fire of 1916 started in one of the woodworking mills near the banks of the river. Destruction from the fire can be seen in the two photos above. Drive by gale force winds, the flames burned nearly 650 structures over 31 blocks."

From "Nashville Yesterday & Today" by Nicki Pendleton Wood

That took care of a large swath of the east bank, but I'd wager the bigger culprit has been demolition in the name of "progress" and "development."  Legacy sacrificed in order to overcome an inferiority complex.

[Nashtitans]

http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2016/11/30/new-metro-tool-aims-to-make-getting-permits-easier.html

New metro tool will make it easier to get permits. Maybe more construction is coming? who knows.

 

With construction booming in Nashville, it’s perhaps no surprise to find regular, hours-long lines at Metro’s Development Services Center.

That’s where you go if you need building or short-term rental permits, among others, or need an answer to a zoning question.

Tuesday, Metro revealed the new QLess waiting system. Though it doesn’t allow residents and businesses to skip the line, the app-driven system allows them to sign-in remotely, so they can at least go about their day while waiting. The system notifies a user as his or her turn approaches, allowing them to head over at that time to the Development Services Center, located at 800 Second Ave. S.

“Nashville is growing at a tremendous pace, with $3.7 billion in permits issued last fiscal year and even more expected for FY16-17. This increase in demand for permits has caused people to spend more time waiting and less time working, costing them or their businesses time and money in the process,” Mayor Megan Barry said in a news release. “The QLess system will help to modernize the permitting process and allow residents, employees, and business owners to be more productive and efficient with their time. I want to commend the Codes Department for finding innovative ways to improve upon the services Metro provides.”

[fieldmarshaldj]

3 hours ago, Nashville Cliff said:

That took care of a large swath of the east bank, but I'd wager the bigger culprit has been demolition in the name of "progress" and "development."  Legacy sacrificed in order to overcome an inferiority complex.

Five will get you ten that if there had been no fire, most of those gorgeous homes and mansions destroyed would've fallen to "urban renewal" by the 1960s.

[Hey_Hey]

3 hours ago, Nashtitans said:

http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2016/11/30/new-metro-tool-aims-to-make-getting-permits-easier.html

New metro tool will make it easier to get permits. Maybe more construction is coming? who knows.

 

With construction booming in Nashville, it’s perhaps no surprise to find regular, hours-long lines at Metro’s Development Services Center.

That’s where you go if you need building or short-term rental permits, among others, or need an answer to a zoning question.

Tuesday, Metro revealed the new QLess waiting system. Though it doesn’t allow residents and businesses to skip the line, the app-driven system allows them to sign-in remotely, so they can at least go about their day while waiting. The system notifies a user as his or her turn approaches, allowing them to head over at that time to the Development Services Center, located at 800 Second Ave. S.

“Nashville is growing at a tremendous pace, with $3.7 billion in permits issued last fiscal year and even more expected for FY16-17. This increase in demand for permits has caused people to spend more time waiting and less time working, costing them or their businesses time and money in the process,” Mayor Megan Barry said in a news release. “The QLess system will help to modernize the permitting process and allow residents, employees, and business owners to be more productive and efficient with their time. I want to commend the Codes Department for finding innovative ways to improve upon the services Metro provides.”

They have been testing this product for the last couple months, and I've heard good things about it. However, it doesn't change the fact that they are understaffed and cannot meet the demand in a reasonable amount of time.  Permitting should be seamless, easy to get, and high quality. Even with this system in place, it takes hours of waiting and two trips to the permitting office. 

[TNinVB]

God Canada is so beautiful. I have visited Newfoundland and Halifax but really want to make it out to B.C. The mountains and all the trees make it one of the most beautiful cities in the world in my opinion. The closest I have been is Seattle and I fell in love with that area. I hope to make it to Vancouver one day.

[titanhog]

1 minute ago, TNinVB said:

God Canada is so beautiful. I have visited Newfoundland and Halifax but really want to make it out to B.C. The mountains and all the trees make it one of the most beautiful cities in the world in my opinion. The closest I have been is Seattle and I fell in love with that area. I hope to make it to Vancouver one day.

I've done the loop from Calgary to Banff...to Lake Louise...up to Jasper...over to Edmonton and back down to Calgary.  You MUST do this if you go.  Very awe-inspiring and gorgeous

 

.

[TNinVB]

I would love to! Wow that pic reminds me of Germany where I grew up. I love all of the evergreen trees and the mountains. Breathtaking!

 

[Canuck87]

I would definitely encourage anyone and everyone to visit Western Canada if given the opportunity.

One of the best trips to make is Calgary to Vancouver or vice versa. Fly into one of the cities and explore it for a couple days. Then rent a car and take the Trans-Canada Highway through the Canadian Rockies. The drive from Calgary to Vancouver is about ten hours, but you can break it up. There is no shortage of great places to stop along the way. Spend a couple nights in Banff, Lake Louise, Invermere, ect. Then finish up your trip with a couple days in your destination city. You really will get the best of both wolds--amazing cities and the great outdoors!

If any of you find yourself travelling to that neck of the woods, feel free to shoot me a message. I'd be happy to give you a native's perspective on the best things to do.

The picture below is of Moraine Lake in Banff National Park. It's about an hour away from where I lived in Calgary (in case you needed anymore reason to visit).

I will quit promoting Canadian tourism now and return to the original topic of discussion--Nashville

Edited November 30, 2016 by Canuck87

[markhollin]

Metro Council proposing new bill to give pedestrians access to sidwalks in construction zones.  Hope this gets enforced.

http://www.nashvillepost.com/politics/metro-government/article/20845562/metro-bills-question-encroachments

 

[GreenHillsBoy]

5 minutes ago, markhollin said:

Metro Council proposing new bill to give pedestrians access to sidwalks in construction zones.  Hope this gets enforced.

http://www.nashvillepost.com/politics/metro-government/article/20845562/metro-bills-question-encroachments

 

I also wish the council would take up the repaving issue when construction necessitates digging across city streets.  There are a number of places where new homes have been built and they dig across city streets and then basically do a half way job of paving over the hole, causing a bump or dip in the street, some of which were recently paved.  I'm seeing a significant amount in Green Hills and the repair to the streets are poorly done.  Again, the developers are not held to appropriate standards, like shutting down streets and sidewalks. 

[rookzie]

32 minutes ago, GreenHillsBoy said:

I also wish the council would take up the repaving issue when construction necessitates digging across city streets.  There are a number of places where new homes have been built and they dig across city streets and then basically do a half way job of paving over the hole, causing a bump or dip in the street, some of which were recently paved.  I'm seeing a significant amount in Green Hills and the repair to the streets are poorly done.  Again, the developers are not held to appropriate standards, like shutting down streets and sidewalks. 

Amen, GHBoy.  I live right smack in the middle of that sector, and with all the infill and reDev, following a entire repaving ─ typical there and everywhere ─ I understand that there's no way to not need to tap access to ground utilities during any time and any place.  But as you said, they do a half-a$$ job of re-leveling the surfaces, and with multiple and serial cuttings along any particular stretch of roadway, the problem becomes much more acute in wreaking havoc on vehicles.  I also realize that some processes during certain times of the year will require re-patching, but in high traffic areas and with all the ever-increasing cut-throughs, Metro also does a half-a$$ job, if any job, of addressing such follow-up repairs, as these patches inevitably will settle and sink, such as with the patching following construction along Shackleford Rd., which decades ago became an "Arterial BackStreet", with heavy rush-hour traffic, city buses, and the like, pounding these patches such that tire circumferences almost can fit the curvature of these sunken depressions.

Drivers and residents should never have to report the need to Public Works to fulfill the need to fix post-construction-related pavement issues.  This is yet another case of the growing pains that have fallen "Through the cracks".  This also is a primary reason that the MTA cannot maintain for long any decent buses ─ not even the newer articulated ones acquired just 4 years ago.

Edited December 1, 2016 by rookzie

[Canuck87]

Nashville ranks #3 on the Forbes list of "U.S. Cities With The Fastest-Growing Economies" (after San Jose #1 and Austin #2).

http://www.forbes.com/sites/karstenstrauss/2016/12/01/u-s-cities-with-the-fastest-growing-economies/#2740089b60ab

[PaulChinetti]

16 hours ago, markhollin said:

Metro Council proposing new bill to give pedestrians access to sidwalks in construction zones.  Hope this gets enforced.

http://www.nashvillepost.com/politics/metro-government/article/20845562/metro-bills-question-encroachments

This times 1000, every other city has this figured out except for us. I think it should be in excess of a month, a year seems way to lenient. 

"the other an ordinance that would add a requirement that any closures of public rights-of-way in excess of a year be approved by the Council."

[titanhog]

Think about how much our skyline has changed in the last 5 years.  Now...consider what it will look like 5-10 years from now:

JW Marriott

Bridgestone

505CST

Embassy Suites / Curio

Second Ave Partners (2 towers)

Hines/Hayes Bldg

5th & Broad Office

5th & Broad Apartments

Life way Towers (possibly 5 towers?)

Buckingham Gulch (hopefully)

Endeavor (2 towers side by side)

W Hotel

Virgin Hotel

19th & Broadway (Hotel & Office towers)

and a plethora of other shorter towers already announced.

PLUS...I'm sure there will be as many newly announced towers between now and then.

[Canuck87]

"TACTICAL URBANISM REIMAGINING NASHVILLE'S BROADWAY AVE"

A post discussing "temporary urban interventions" and how they are being utilized in downtown Nashville.

http://www.moderncities.com/article/2016-nov-tactical-urbanism-reimagining-nashvilles-broadway-ave/page/

[Canuck87]

I stumbled upon a Nashville Business Journal article published in 1998 discussing the city's growth. The article leads with this bombshell: "By the year 2020, the Nashville metropolitan area could be the 15th-fastest growing metro area in the United States."  

According to research at the time, the area's population was expected to "swell" from 1.09 million people in 1995 to 1.5 million people in 2020. It's hard to believe how much Nashville has outperformed expectations. 

Full article: http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/stories/1998/07/27/story4.html

[titanhog]

^^Not sure what I think about the "re-imaging" of downtown.  I'm hopeful they're just testing things out to eventually come up with a more permanent solution.  It takes me back to really wishing they could make a Paris-style cafe district along 1st Ave, facing the river, which would pull more people down that way and help ease crowding along Broadway.  Also...I really believe 5th and Broadway can help with overcrowding as well.

All in all...I'm glad they're at least looking at ways to improve things downtown and being a little proactive.

[Canuck87]

35 minutes ago, titanhog said:

^^Not sure what I think about the "re-imaging" of downtown.  I'm hopeful they're just testing things out to eventually come up with a more permanent solution.  It takes me back to really wishing they could make a Paris-style cafe district along 1st Ave, facing the river, which would pull more people down that way and help ease crowding along Broadway.  Also...I really believe 5th and Broadway can help with overcrowding as well.

All in all...I'm glad they're at least looking at ways to improve things downtown and being a little proactive.

Yeah, in my opinion the concept is better than the execution. That color scheme in the second photo is questionable, to say the least.  

But like you, I appreciate the effort being made to make the downtown a friendlier place for pedestrians.

Edited December 3, 2016 by Canuck87

[Pyramid Scheme]

6 hours ago, titanhog said:

^^Not sure what I think about the "re-imaging" of downtown.  I'm hopeful they're just testing things out to eventually come up with a more permanent solution.  It takes me back to really wishing they could make a Paris-style cafe district along 1st Ave, facing the river, which would pull more people down that way and help ease crowding along Broadway.  Also...I really believe 5th and Broadway can help with overcrowding as well.

All in all...I'm glad they're at least looking at ways to improve things downtown and being a little proactive.

I think that eventually, the Paris-style theme could extend at least from the Neuhoff plant to Rolling Mill Hill.

[titanhog]

1 hour ago, Philip said:

I think that eventually, the Paris-style theme could extend at least from the Neuhoff plant to Rolling Mill Hill.

You being serious?  Not sure if you're teasing me or not, considering that stretches from north of downtown all the way to the south loop.  That would be an awfully long stretch of Paris-style cafes! 

[Pyramid Scheme]

On 12/3/2016 at 3:27 AM, titanhog said:

You being serious?  Not sure if you're teasing me or not, considering that stretches from north of downtown all the way to the south loop.  That would be an awfully long stretch of Paris-style cafes! 

Not so much cafes as the promenade along the river, but there'd certainly be cafes.

[titanhog]

1 hour ago, Philip said:

Not so much cafes as the promenade along the river, but there'd certainly be cafes.

Oh yes...that would be awesome!  I seriously thought that you were making fun of me and my Paris-style cafe idea.  All I could see in my mind was a 2-mile stretch of nothing but cafes along the river. 

Edited December 5, 2016 by titanhog

[UTgrad09]

*makes fun of titanhog's 2-mile stretch of nothing but cafes along the river*