Rick Bernhardt

NashvilleNext, the process of updating the Metro Planning Department’s 25-year master plan, has shown that Nashvillians are some of the most engaged citizens in the country. More than 15,000 Nashvillians have participated since our launch in February 2013, but we have a bit more work to do before we finish in early summer next year.

In our most recent phase, “Pick Your Nashville,” we received more than 4,700 comments from Nashvillians about which growth scenario, or “future,” you prefer. The leading choice, “Centers with Infill,” emphasizes increased transit to highly developed activity centers throughout the county. You told us that affordable living, access to jobs and amenities, and preservation of environmentally sensitive lands are among your top priorities, so the NashvilleNext plan will reflect these values.

In a series of five meetings beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday at Rocketown, we will discuss the overall community vision and what these choices mean for your neighborhood. While some of our 14 community-plan areas will be affected more than others, the NashvilleNext plan affects every corner of Nashville regarding aspects of growth and development like zone changes, subdivisions and infrastructure needs. The community plans are the primary way NashvilleNext will be implemented, and additional details about these plans will be discussed beginning Thursday.

As we prepare for Thursday’s event and subsequent meetings, we at the Planning Department also want to highlight one of the ways your input is already being implemented. Affordability continues to be a top priority among nearly all respondents, so we worked with Vanderbilt’s Peabody College on a recently released report on equitable development.

This report identifies strategies to maintain affordable and diverse housing choices in growing neighborhoods, including:

• Fund affordable housing efforts with a dedicated housing fund, and use these funds to purchase, construct, rehabilitate or preserve historic neighborhoods.

• Build inclusionary housing in diverse areas throughout the county.

• Preserve existing shared-equity housing and historic neighborhoods through the housing fund.

• Retain residents by making available home-repair assistance programs to prevent displacement.

I hope you will take the opportunity this fall to learn how the NashvilleNext plan will affect your neighborhood, and please bring along a few friends and neighbors as you join us at these meetings. You can find the full schedule and more detailed information at NashvilleNext.net. Help us ensure that, through community-driven planning, our neighborhoods continue to offer great places for longtime Nashvillians and eager newcomers alike.

Rick Bernhardt is the executive director for the Metro Planning Department.

Upcoming NashvilleNext meetings

Thursday — 5 p.m., Rocketown (601 Fourth Ave. S. 37203)

Monday — 6 p.m., Whites Creek High School (7277 Old Hickory Blvd. 37189)

Nov. 6 — 6 p.m., Hillwood High School (400 Davidson Road 37205)

Nov. 10 — 6 p.m., McGavock High School (3150 McGavock Pike 37214)

Nov. 20 — 6 p.m., Southeast Library Complex (at the Global Mall) (2325 Hickory Highlands Drive 37205)