Nashville Urban Plan - Essay Example

Nashville Urban Plan Almost every country in the world has a or an urban center for that matter. However, a closerlook at the cities reveals that some were poorly planned while others were well planned. In this regard, Adams and Tiesdell notes that cities that were poorly planned has remained behind in terms of developments compared to those, which were well planned (6). Therefore, as city planners with several years of experience, Prestige Worldwide believes that for Nashville to restore its former glory and compete effectively with other modern urban centers in the world in accordance with Martin Luther King Jr’s dream it must be planned properly (Smith and Zepp 16). For this to happen, Nashville must be planned in a manner that ensures that there are enough infrastructural facilities such as roads, enough housing, electricity, stadium, water and sewerage facilities. In addition, there must be enough social facilities in the city such as hospitals, schools, and religious places, as well as recreational facilities. It is only in so doing that Nashville will be able to restore its former glory and be competitive with the rest of the cities in the world. After having conducted a feasibility study in Nashville, it became apparent that Nashville lugs behind because of poor planning. For instance, Prestige Worldwide found out that the road network is a big problem in Nashville. This is because there are few roads that link the city to the rest of the country. This inconveniences communities as they take long on the roads as noted by Parfect, Power, and Ldr International (62). Furthermore, the few roads available are very narrow thereby causing traffic jams to build up very fast. As a result, people spent too long on roads either to or from Nashville. Therefore, as city planners, we have proposed the construction of bypasses to help ease congestions and reduce the traffic jams. At the same time, we have also come up with a strategy to expand the size of the roads leading into the city from its current single lane to eight dual carriages. At the same time, we shall ensure that all roundabouts causing a buildup of traffic jams to and from the city during rush hours are replaced with flyovers, which will see some cars pass from above. Certainly, this will help reduce the traffic menace currently being witnessed in Nashville. A feasibility study conducted by Prestige Worldwide also found out that public transport is a big problem in Nashville. This is because the city has a high number of people commuting from the city outskirts to the town center while there are few available means of public transport (Parfect, Power, and Ldr International 68). As a result, we intend to solve this problem by establishing both a subway and railway system. As such, we strongly believe that trains will help sort the problem of public transport in the city. The trains will be electric powered and will have a terminus at different locations where commuters will be picked at dropped. Smith and Zepp (16) reveal that Nashville is among the fastest growing cities in the U.S. with its population having doubled over the last century. In spite of the population growth, Nashville has not had enough housing structures to accommodate the growing population. This has resulted in the development of ghettos in the city. However, as the planners of the city, we have proposed the demolition of shanties build in the city, which will then be replaced with modern housing structures. We intend to oversee the construction of as many houses as possible so as to reduce the housing problem being experienced in Nashville. A feasibility study conducted within the cities central business district also showed a lack of proper planning cause’s congestion in the city. This is because there is no pedestrian system connecting important destinations as noted by Faragher (13). As a result, we propose the construction of pedestrian lanes between houses within the central business district. At the same time, we will ensure that there is a separate pedestrian lane from that of the bicycle and vehicles to ensure that the city becomes a better destination for all regardless of status. We believe that the separation of the bicycle lanes from the vehicle roads will help reduce incidences of accidents that have characterized the city for a very long time now. We also propose the lighting of the city. Findings reveal that there have been high incidences of insecurity in Nashville. The high rate of insecurity has partly been blamed on the darkness that characterizes the city at night. This is because criminals have been taking advantage of darkness to attack their victims as noted by Adams and Tiesdell (9). As such, we shall sure that all major streets in Nashville city are adequately illuminated. We have also proposed that streets lights be powered using solar power to save energy cost and conserve the environment. Nashville Civic Design Center reports that the City of Nashville has also lagged behind in terms of development due to lack of enough colleges and Universities to absorb the residents of the city (Par.3). In fact, Martin Luther King Jr. once dreamt of a country where everybody has better education (Smith and Zepp 22). As a result, we have proposed the construction of at least five middle colleges, which will be spread all over the city. These colleges will absorb high schools graduates in the area so as to ensure that everybody has a better and affordable education in the city. In addition, we have come up with a plan, which will see the construction of ten universities of the international standards in the city. We strongly believe that this is one of the ways by which the dreams of Martin Luther King shall be fulfilled. In addition to the universities and colleges, we have also proposed the construction of at least five libraries, which will be distributed across the region. These libraries will act as reading place for the residents of Nashville. Health facilities are also a major social facility that is still not enough in the city. We strongly believe that no society can exist without good hospitals and health facilities to take care of the sick. Currently there are a few hospitals most of which are private in the city. We have developed a plan, which will see the construction of at least ten hospitals of national standards in Nashville. At the same time, we have created a plan which will ensure that different regions around and within the city have a health facility. This plan will reduce putting residents in a situation where they have to travel long distances before reaching a health facility as has been the case, notes Smith and Zepp (25). In addition to the hospitals, we shall ensure that there are enough public toilets evenly distributed at different locations in the city. A study in the city reveals that the city has been lacking enough toilets. A study conducted by Parfect, Power and Ldr International in Nashville revealed that the city is large enough making it suitable for the establishment of parks (64). In this regard, we have proposed the establishment of a national park, which will be situated few kilometers from the town center. The part will act as a leisure and tourist attraction place for residents and visitors of the town. Doing this will certainly help restore Nashville’s former glory. The park will also enhance the beauty of the city as it will act as a place for relation for visitors of the city. Findings also shows that Nashville is in dire need of retractable roof stadium in order to be able to attract NFL superbowl bids, NCAA SEC championship football bids, and maybe even Olympic games bids (Faragher 4). However, Nashville cannot bid for these games, not unless the desired infrastructural facilities are put in place. As a result, we have come up with a plan, which will see the construction of a retractable stadium at the outskirts of the city. In addition, we have proposed the construction of two other stadiums of international stadium at the outskirts of the city. We strongly believe that, with these stadiums in place, Nashville will succeed in its bid for all this games because it will have one of the best stadiums in the country. Faragher notes that Nashville is a place rich in culture and art (6). As a result, the city plan will also include a plan for the construction of a cultural and communication center for the locals. This will include a national theatre, which we propose to be constructed at the city center. The cultural center will showcase the region’s cultural richness, which we believe will attract any tourists in the area thereby earning the region foreign exchange. We also strongly believe that the theatre will act as a place where Nashville youths can showcase their talents such as music and drama, which has been seen to be strong in this region. As Prestige Worldwide, we strongly believe that will such a plan Nashville will emerge as the most beautiful and most admired city in the entire nation. This will certainly help restore its former glory as once dreamt of by Martin Luther King Jr. Work Cited Adams, David, & Tiesdell, Steve. Shaping Places: Urban Planning, Design and Development. Abingdon: OX: Routledge. 2012. Print. Faragher, Scott (1999). Nashville. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. 1999. Print. Nashville Civic Design Center. “The Plan of Nashville.” Web. http://www.civicdesigncenter.org/plan_of_nashville/action. Parfect, Michael, Power, Gordon, & Ldr International. Planning for Urban Quality: Urban Design in Towns and Cities. New York, NY: Routledge. 1997 Print. Smith, Kenneth L., & Zepp, Ira G. Search for the Beloved Community: The Thinking of Martin Luther King, Jr. New York, NY: Judson Press. 1998. Print. Read More