The Napier Green Streets Project is turning Cannon Street into a safer, greener, and more connected space—with community-powered transformation on the way. From planting almost 100 native trees, to community art and safer sidewalks, this is a project built with the neighborhood, for the neighborhood.
Led by a team of Green Interchange, NDOT, Walk Bike Nashville, and the Civic Design Center, we’re tackling urban heat, water runoff, and pedestrian safety—all while making space for creativity and connection.
Stay tuned and get involved—this is your street, reimagined.
Location: Cannon Street, South Nashville (Napier neighborhood) Timeline: Groundbreaking – May 2025 | Ribbon Cutting – October 2025 Project Partners: Green Interchange, Nashville Department of Transportation (NDOT), Walk Bike Nashville, Civic Design Center
What’s the Napier Green Streets Project? The Napier Green Streets Project is a community-led initiative transforming Cannon Street in South Nashville into a safer, greener, and more beautiful space for everyone. What started as a response to unsafe routes to school has grown into a comprehensive “green streets” redesign—bringing together residents, artists, schools, and local organizations to make real, lasting change.
This project aligns with Nashville’s Vision Zero goals to eliminate traffic fatalities and with Mayor O’Connell’s Executive Order No. 45 promoting sustainable infrastructure.
Why This Project Matters The Napier neighborhood faces unique challenges—and this project is tackling them head-on:
Urban Heat Islands: New street trees and native plants will cool the area and increase tree canopy.
Flooding & Water Pollution: Green stormwater infrastructure will manage runoff and improve water quality.
Pedestrian & Bike Safety: The redesign will support safer walking and biking routes for families and students.
Climate Resilience & Nature Access: Native gardens and shaded sidewalks will offer residents a healthier, greener public space.
Our Goals
Create a safe, accessible street for pedestrians, cyclists, and public transit users.
Increase access to green spaces and improve community health.
Engage local youth and residents in shaping their neighborhood.
Expand green infrastructure in a historically underserved area.
Support environmental justice and climate resilience in Nashville.
What’s Happening Now
Community Engagement in Motion: Outreach events and fundraising for public programming are underway.
Art & Green Design Planning: Pollinator gardens, murals, and student-designed crosswalks are being developed.
Community Comes First The project builds on years of local efforts, including:
Walking School Bus programs for safer student commutes
Traffic calming near the public library
Earth Day cleanups at Dudley Park
Bike Month events with painted bulb-outs to slow traffic
Public Art & Student Involvement
Art will include murals, sculptures, and painted crosswalks.
Students (grade 5 and up) will submit designs through the Civic Design Center’s “Paint Challenge.”
Final art and landscaping designs will follow Metro guidelines and include community-selected themes.
Want to get involved or learn more? Contact us: [email protected]. Let’s green Cannon Street—together!
Garrison Creek Stream Restoration – Murfreesboro, TN
Restoring Garrison Creek—One Tree at a Time On October 8, 2022, volunteers joined Green Interchange to plant 50 native trees along the upper section of Garrison Creek, a tributary of Bushman Creek in Murfreesboro. This event marked an exciting step toward restoring this heavily impacted waterway, which has long been listed as impaired on Tennessee’s 303(d) list of polluted streams.
The work is part of a broader plan to plant 300 native trees and 1,000 live stakes along roughly 1,781 feet of creek bank while maintaining an additional 100 trees downstream. The project combines habitat restoration, stormwater management, and community involvement to improve the health of the stream for people, wildlife, and water quality.
Why It Matters Healthy trees do more than look good—they’re essential to healthy streams:
Prevent erosion and stabilize stream banks.
Absorb stormwater, reducing flooding and runoff.
Shade the stream, keeping water cooler for fish and aquatic life.
Provide habitat for birds and pollinators.
Filter pollutants and improve water quality.
This effort is helping transition Garrison Creek from a former ditch to a functioning stream with diverse habitat.
Watch the Transformation Over the years, local partnerships have hosted tree plantings, cleanups, and algae pulls—transforming the lower portion of Garrison Creek. Now, the focus is on achieving similar success upstream! See the progress for yourself:
Connected by Water Did you know Garrison Creek flows all the way to the Mississippi River? That means every action taken locally has a ripple effect across the region. We invite you to become a River Citizen—a community of people working to protect America’s greatest river. Learn more and join for free at 1 Mississippi.
Get Involved We’re just getting started on the upper section of Garrison Creek, and we need your help!
Interested in volunteering at a future planting event or learning more about stream restoration? Contact us at [email protected]. Together, we’re bringing life back to our local waterways.
