How History Impacts the Future
Reinitiating a collaboration started twenty years ago, Franklin Tomorrow and the SEASIDE Institute™ are partnering to present a Vision City Conference in Franklin, October 15th-17th, with the theme “How History Impacts the Future.”
SEASIDE Institute™ first visited Franklin twenty years ago, working with the City of Franklin and other organizations to offer a multi-day workshop of case studies and critiques of traditional neighborhood developments, with Southern Land and Westhaven being presented as a case study alongside developments from other parts of the country. The 2024 Vision City Conference program will feature a collaboration between Franklin Tomorrow and SEASIDE Institute™, which as a nonprofit organization itself promotes community building through design, education and the arts.
The theme will be a focus on "How History Impacts the Future." The conference is being planned with a downtown Franklin campus approach for walkability, utilizing The Harpeth Hotel as well as the Franklin Theatre and The Factory at Franklin as meeting sites. While the agenda for the conference is still under development, here are some highlights of the conference we know, although all speakers and topics are subject to change.
October 15th, 12:15-1:45pm: Hear from Dhiru A. Thadani, an architect and urbanist who has been in practice since 1980. He has worked to disseminate principles and techniques of traditional town planning in all five continents. Additionally, he is the author of Visions of Seaside: Foundations / Evolution / Imagination / Built & Unbuilt Architecture, published by Rizzoli in June 2013. Since its formation in 1993, Thadani has been a charter member of the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU).
October 15th, 4pm: What makes a community livable? Livability.com tells the stories of cities, regions and states and will share its expertise on what makes our nation’s small to mid-sized cities great places to live, but also how communities can effectively market themselves to businesses and talent alike.
October 16th, 8:30am: Enjoy a "Breakfast with the Mayors," past and present, of cities like Franklin, Tennessee; Greenville, South Carolina and Carmel, Indiana at The Factory at Franklin.
October 16th, 10am-noon: Participate in one of four "Mobile Workshops" that will bring a “boots on the ground” touch to the conference.
October 16th, 5:30pm: Experience a "Taste of the Towns" reception while enjoying a middle Tennessee sunset (weather permitting).
October 17th, 8am: Start the day at the Franklin Theatre, known as the "Home of First Kisses," and hear from the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County on preservation projects underway in Franklin.
October 17th, 9:45am: Learn the positive impact of tourism in both Franklin and Walton County, Florida, and plan your next visit to either destination.
The $400 registration fee will cover most meals over the three days, as well as venue costs and speaker travel. To register for the conference, visit 2024VisionCityConference.eventbrite.com. Hotel blocks have been reserved at The Harpeth Hotel and at the Spring Hill Suites Cool Springs.
CEO Mindy Tate would love to discuss how Franklin Tomorrow can involve your company as a partner or as a speaker. Contact her mindy@franklintomorrow.org. For more information, visit franklintomorrow.org and seasideinstitute.org
