Nashville economic development project aims to bring equity, inclusion

Nickelle Smith
·2 min read

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A project is underway to create an economic development strategy for Nashville that is inclusive and equitable.

When now-former mayor John Cooper announced “Prosper Nashville,” his office said that in Nashville and Davidson County, the top 20% of earners make over 16 times more than the bottom 20% of earners.

The plan is to address various topics like developing strategies to invest in historically underserved neighborhoods and improve quality of life for residents, supporting programs and initiatives that continue to make Nashville an attractive destination for businesses and quality jobs, uplifting the needs of small businesses, and having partnerships between metro and other groups.

📧 Have breaking come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts →

“We’re talking about jobs, we’re talking about transit, we’re talking about childcare, we’re talking about education, we’re talking about the workforce, including business retention and business recruitment, we’re talking about our small businesses — our Black and Brown businesses, we don’t have any permanent staff regardless of who the mayor is to focus on these issues and making sure they get addressed,” said LaTanya Channel, Metro Nashville’s Director of Economic Growth and Small Business Development.

More than 50 people were selected to meet throughout the project for five action committees.
Over this past summer, Prosper Nashville held several community listening sessions where residents shared some of their biggest concerns.

⏩ Read today’s top stories on wkrn.com

“Common themes? We’ve been forgotten. Common themes: I can’t move about the city. Common themes: our residents get up every day and work and must have a car. Common theme: our residents are leaving, particularly those who can’t afford to stay here because the cost of living has just gone up so dramatically,” said Channel. “That’s the reason why Smyrna is growing, you know, with Black and Brown communities up populating suburban communities to the south of us. That’s the reason why Clarksville is growing so fast, because our residents have to move away to afford to live.”

She said the program is federally funded and the community input meetings are on pause right now as the new administration takes over. Check their website for more information.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.