As part of the peer-to-peer learning objective for the Rose Center, ULI is pleased to present the first two webinars of a new series, Lessons from the Rose Fellowship. The  presentations look at the land use and planning challenges of two Rose Fellowship alumni communities: Nashville, TN (2009-2010) and Sacramento, CA (2010-2011). Representatives of each city will provide a brief overview of the land use challenge analyzed during their fellowship tenure and the resulting policy actions and/or obstacles encountered by city officials as they sought to solidify public and private commitment to the project vision and solutions identified in during the program.

Sacramento, CA: Redeveloping the Railyards to Strengthen the Urban Core –

Located at the terminus of the transcontinental railroad, The Sacramento Railyards is one of the largest urban infill sites in the nation. Comprising 240 acres adjacent to Sacramento’s Central Business District, The Railyards is planned as a vibrant high-density mixed-use, mixed-income community served by light rail, bus, Amtrak, and Interstate 5. At maximum build out, the current plan calls for up to 1.8 million square feet of retail; 2.3 million square feet of office; and as many as 12,000 housing units anchored by the historic central shops along with hotels, museums, theaters, parks, and cultural amenities including a potential arena/performing arts center.

Since the approval of the land use plan in 2007, the local and national economy has undergone a dramatic transformation. As a result, the land use plan as well as the quantity and distribution of uses may need adjustment given the new economic climate. In particular, the amount of retail intended for the site could compete with current efforts to bring additional retail and entertainment to K Street and Downtown Plaza, the struggling shopping center in the heart of the Central Business District.

The City’s unique challenge is to balance the need to develop The Railyards into a regional destination with exciting, vibrant amenities, while also revitalizing Sacramento’s existing urban core.

Learn more about the Sacramento Rose Fellowship.

June 19, 2012 l 1-2 pm EDT

Presented by:
John Dangberg
Assistant City Manager

Sacramento Railyards presentation slides
Sacramento Railyards presentation audio (mp3)

Nashville, TN: Place Making through Infill and Corridor Redevelopment –

Nashville’s unusual wheel-and-spoke street pattern reflects the city’s early history as a regional center with connections to surrounding towns. Beginning in the mid-twentieth century, however, development along the spokes transitioned into auto-driven sprawl, and corridors became throughways rather than destinations, resulting in a development pattern oriented to the car. Commercial uses with expansive parking and intense signage designed to attract drivers took precedence over pedestrian facilities; this pattern is not an asset to the neighborhoods that flank the corridor, which are experiencing reinvestment.

Nashville focused on two such corridors – 4th Avenue South and 8th Avenue South – as transferable models. Between the corridors lies the 130-acre, decommissioned Tennessee State Fairgrounds — also home of the Nashville Speedway, an automobile racetrack that has deterred redevelopment in the area – and represents a significant redevelopment opportunity with transformative spillover potential. To date, Nashville has utilized planning and zoning strategies to reinvigorate its corridors, and is interested in evaluating these tools and considering additional tools such as capital investments and economic development strategies.

Learn more about the Nashville Rose Fellowship.

June 26, 2012 l 1-2 pm EDT

Presented by:
Rick Bernhardt, FAICP, CNU-A
Executive Director
Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County Planning Department

Nashville Placemaking presentation slides
Nashville Placemaking presentation audio