Jefferson Street Artwalk and Other Local Projects Win Grants in Nashville’s First Tactical Urbanism Initiative

The Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT) has announced the awardees of its first Tactical Urbanism Program project cycle. Tactical Urbanism projects are community-led, temporary installations which aim to test modifications to roadway designs or beautify an area using low-cost materials. Examples of tactical urbanism projects include improving sidewalk zones, enhancing crosswalks, and installing traffic calming measures such as traffic circles and pedestrian refuges. NDOT originally planned to support four projects for this first cycle, but due to a high number of strong applications, 14 community-led projects will soon be implemented throughout the city. Each awardee will be provided with up to $20,000 to support the installation of their respective project. In addition to providing community groups with the resources to make travel in their neighborhoods safer and more efficient, NDOT hopes tactical urbanism projects can lead to future roadway designs that are catered to the needs of the community. Matthew Cushing, the project manager for NDOT’s Tactical Urbanism Program, says tactical urbanism projects give community members a direct pathway to voice their needs and see immediate impact in their neighborhoods. “Tactical urbanism projects can be installed much more quickly than traditional roadway projects, while still leading to...