Think tank’s new resource includes best practices in housing, transportation, neighborhoods, and workforce development policies and initiatives
NASHVILLE, TN –Inspired by the results of the 2023-2024 Imagine Nashville project, a new catalog of case studies released today by nonpartisan think tank ThinkTennessee curates best practices from across the country on various housing, transportation, neighborhoods, and workforce development policies and initiatives. The catalog is meant to inspire and prepare civic leaders to navigate policy challenges through the detailed presentation of real-world innovations at the local, state, and national level.
“Researching and identifying relevant best practices and case studies from peer cities and states has been an important aspect of ThinkTennessee’s work since our founding in 2017,” said Erin Hafkenschiel, president of ThinkTennessee. “Until now, they have only been embedded in our research reports and policy briefs. We created this online catalog as a way for partners to easily access case studies across our issue areas to better inform their own work and support important policy conversations.”
The catalog currently includes 22 case studies, though it will be updated regularly as additional research and analysis uncover new examples relevant to Tennessee. Highlights from the current selection include inventive and impactful initiatives both inside and outside of the state.
- Housing: In 2006, 63% of Austin voters supported the issuance of a $65 million general obligation bond to directly create affordable rental and homeownership units in addition to funding homebuyer and home repair programs. Austin’s general obligation bond has since produced 4,372 new affordable units.
- Transportation: The City of Denver turned a polluted river into seven miles of ecological and recreational space for residents through the development of the Platte River Greenway. The State of Colorado provided funding for the initial cleanup, and a coalition of city and state representatives formed a development committee to lead efforts. The new Platte River Development Foundation now operates 11+ projects along the river that increase recreational opportunities, waterfront reclamation, development, and public facilities.
- Neighborhoods: The Memphis Medical District Collaborative (MMDC) works to create a vibrant, inclusive, and prosperous district where residents, businesses, and institutions can thrive together. MMDC strategically partners with anchor institutions and stakeholders in the community to invest in the economic and cultural potential of the District.
- Workforce Development: A talent and workforce development initiative of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership called Ascend Indiana connects people to careers through three main offerings: the Ascend Network (job matching platform), Ascend Services (consulting and capacity building), and Ascend Insights (conducts labor market research & shares best practices). The initiative has built 64 talent pipelines alongside employers, with 2,047 individuals participating in training programs since 2016.
The full catalog can be viewed on the ThinkTennessee website at thinktennessee.org/case-study-catalog. Case studies in the online catalog can be filtered by topic and level of implementation (local, state, or national). If you would like to submit a case study to be included on ThinkTennessee’s website, please send an email to info@thinktn.org.
