Nashville Yards is poised to set a new benchmark for regenerative urban development. The multi-phase urban infill project covers roughly 10 city blocks in downtown Nashville. Working closely with developer Southwest Value Partners, Gresham Smith established a governing master plan and vision for future development—one that transforms the city’s urban core.
Southwest Value Partners
In an era of unprecedented challenges, resilience has emerged as a cornerstone in planning and building sustainable places. In its most comprehensive form, resilience is the capacity of a system to absorb shocks and recover without sustaining lasting damage. This includes the physical robustness of infrastructure and the cultural and human resources that underpin community strength. It encompasses strategies for empowerment, ensuring that communities not only survive but thrive amid evolving challenges. The convergence of design and engineering plays a pivotal role in this vision of resilience. However, achieving transformative outcomes through this interdisciplinary integration requires more than technical expertise.
As global and local challenges evolve, extreme weather events driven by climate change regularly test the limits of our urban infrastructure, making resilient communities more critical than ever. Resilience is not only about the ability to withstand and bounce back from these disruptions—it’s about anticipating and preparing for them in a way that strengthens and augments the larger community. This requires a shift in guiding principles, redirecting the focus to resilience as the central tenet in all planning and development intended to last. To achieve this, project teams must prioritize multidisciplinary collaboration. By leveraging multifaceted expertise, teams can develop robust solutions that address multiple challenges with less effort. This approach leads to design interventions that generate co-benefits, strengthening resilience by considering it in every aspect of the project.
Building resilience into the DNA of even small projects can produce significant benefits. When making decisions, it’s essential to consider the historical, social, and ecological context and site usage. In places already disenfranchised by previous development practices, resilience in planning should also focus on reconnecting neighborhoods, supporting local economies, and rebuilding the sense of a larger community—centering its collective memory in the vision for the future.
When design & engineering meet
To ensure maximum potential in resiliency planning, integrating planning, design, and engineering into a single cohesive process is vital from the outset of a project. For instance, green infrastructure initiatives can be designed to manage stormwater that benefits downstream neighborhoods while also restoring native habitats, supporting biodiversity, and providing inviting spaces that enhance community well-being. Similarly, urban infill developments can revitalize neighborhoods and economies without displacing legacy residents and businesses, offering mixed-use spaces that complement existing environments.
The following three projects highlight how careful planning and collaboration can have a profound impact on creating thriving and resilient communities:
1. The Chattahoochee RiverLands. Overseen by a joint project management team from the Atlanta Regional Commission, the Trust for Public Land, Cobb County, and the City of Atlanta, the Chattahoochee RiverLands is a vision for an equitable and sustainable public realm along the Chattahoochee River. The initiative builds upon decades of planning and environmental policy to create a regional resource for the millions of residents along the river corridor. In collaboration with SCAPE Landscape Architecture, Gresham Smith worked with the multidisciplinary project team to create a robust and iterative community engagement process. Thousands of stakeholders across the region participated in public forums, design charrettes, and focus groups to build consensus around the community’s vision for the future and how the river can be transformed into a valuable resource.
A vital element of the RiverLands project was its emphasis on community-driven design. The planning process centered on evidence-based design and equitable development principles to engage a vast cross-section of people and organizations throughout the region. This approach ensured that multiple voices, including historically marginalized populations, drove the process. The result is a robust and self-sustaining network of people and organizations, public and private, that continue to meet and advocate for the vision’s implementation.
According to Walt Ray, Chattahoochee program director for the Trust for Public Land, more than $250 million has been allocated to upcoming RiverLands projects planned to date. This significant investment underscores the importance of the RiverLands as a transformative regional resource. The project stands as a powerful illustration of active public collaboration in the planning and design process, resulting in a resilient community of local advocates championing the region’s wide-ranging cultural and environmental benefits.
2. Nashville Yards—Poised to set a new benchmark for regenerative urban development, this multiphase urban infill project covers roughly 10 city blocks in downtown Nashville. Working closely with developer Southwest Value Partners, Gresham Smith established a governing master plan and vision for future development—one that transforms the city’s urban core. When completed, it will stand as a vibrant and resilient new district while celebrating the site’s historic legacy in Music City.
Within the larger Nashville Yards, Ascension Saint Thomas Landing exemplifies sustainable urban development. By transforming fallow land into a dynamic and verdant open space, the project taps into the potential of the previously neglected site. The master plan calls for the Ascension Saint Thomas Landing to connect the Union Station at Nashville Yards with Broadway, The Grand Hyatt Hotel, The Pinnacle Tower, and future phases of the development.
The design of Ascension Saint Thomas Landing integrates a variety of flexible public spaces with lush native plants and adaptive landscapes. By promoting social interaction and economic vitality, the project seeks to establish a thriving green ribbon in the heart of Nashville. The design prioritizes near-term functionality and long-term adaptability, ensuring that Ascension Saint Thomas Landing remains a valuable community asset for future generations.
3. The Rain Gardens at 900 Block—This stormwater retrofit project in Lexington, Kentucky, is a prime example of how small-scale interventions can create significant value through sustainable design principles. At the heart of the Rain Gardens initiative lies a deep commitment to cross-discipline collaboration.
Landscape architects and civil engineers at Gresham Smith teamed with client Frontier Highway to reimagine a previously underutilized exterior space within a 0.5-acre (0.2 ha) multifamily property. With grant funding through the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government’s innovative stormwater incentive program, the project established a vibrant, ecologically sound area that benefits the entire community.
Prior to the retrofit, 70 percent of the property was impervious to rain, contributing to frequent flooding that posed significant public health and safety risks. Green infrastructure solutions address these hazards and dramatically enhance the site’s aesthetics and functionality. Introducing rain gardens, storm storage, permeable pavements, and bioswales transformed the property into a destination residents want to visit.
These features were designed to effectively manage heavy stormwater runoff while creating an immersive, interactive landscape for the community. Hardy native plants, chosen for their minimal upkeep and ability to withstand extreme conditions, help restore the balance between nature and the city.
Bioswales, native vegetation along the newly created water walk, and a raised infiltration edge featuring a seating nook all contribute to a strong sense of place, integrating resilient infrastructure as a central element of the neighborhood’s identity.
Awarded the 2023 American Society of Landscape Architects Professional Award of Excellence for Residential Design, the Rain Gardens at 900 Block Stormwater Retrofit underscores the importance of integrating sustainable design practices into urban development—even on a small scale. The project was a cost-efficient solution to several critical environmental challenges, enhancing the value and livability of the community. It serves as a replicable model for all communities looking to improve ecological health and enhance property values through thoughtful design focused on resiliency. When widely adopted, such retrofits contribute significantly to resilience while prolonging the life of public infrastructure systems.
The path to success
These three case studies offer valuable insights for future projects. They demonstrate that design and engineering, supported by comprehensive planning, leads to outcomes that are not only robust and functional but deeply aligned with the needs and values of the communities they serve. ULI members and other real estate industry professionals have a unique opportunity to impact the future through everyday work. Achieving resilience is within reach across all project types, scales, and ownership structures.
It is essential to break down the traditional silos separating engineers, planners, architects, landscape architects, and owners. These experts must work together toward shared common goals, effectively communicating their input from their unique perspectives. Fostering robust cross-discipline communication early in a project and revisiting it throughout its lifecycle leads to unexpected solutions for multiple challenges and a more resilient overall approach.
Whether incorporating green infrastructure and native landscapes into an existing urban property or undertaking the grandest of visions, the land we touch holds opportunities to create generational value. By building resilience into today’s built environment, we all play a part in ensuring a healthy and sustainable future.
Related reading:
ULI Atlanta Advises Fulton County on Developing World-Class Industrial District
ULI Nashville 2024 Excellence in Development
Water Wise: Strategies for Drought-Resilient Development
