Residential communities evolve through the process of gentrification whereby essential character of a community can change. This change in character can leave a community unrecognizable to longtime residents. However, businesses and development can be designed to intentionally preserve the familiar character of a community. This discussion will focus on businesses and non-residential development that have successfully designed their spaces to preserve a community’s character in the mist of rapid change.

In a panel format, members of some of Nashville's popular business and retail communities will discuss the intentional or circumstantial design decisions that were made in order to preserve community character. Its our hope that audience members, and members of the design community, will learn how to consider community character and context in the design of interior spaces, and non-residential development in Nashville's rapidly changing communities.

This disussion takes place during Nashville Design Week (November 8-15), which is "a week-long, city-wide series of interdisciplinary programs and events to unite the design community, promote collaboration and idea sharing, engage the public, and elevate the impact of Nashville’s design economy." Source - www.nashvilledesignweek.org

Panelists Include:

Derrick Moore, Co-owner of Slim & Husky's Pizza Beeria
Karl & Jennifer Carpenter, Co-owners of The Garden Brunch Cafe
DJ Wootson, Principal of Titus Young Real Estate
Chris Larkins, CEO of Pichoslap Development Company LLC
Brian Tibbs, Partner at Moody Nolan

Panel Curators Include:

Tifinie Capehart – Realtor and Urban Planning Consultant. Adjunct Professor of Urban Studies, Tennessee State University, Board Member, Nashville Civic Design Center
Isaac Addae – Assistant Professor of Business Administration at Tennessee State University and co-founder of the Conscious Conversation community discussion series
Brian Sexton – Founder, Creatives' Day, a nonprofit support organization for Creatives in Tennessee