About Us

Cumberland Region Tomorrow brings people and organizations together to address regional challenges and opportunities we face with the future growth and development of Middle Tennessee. We foster communication, collaboration and action as we help plan for the long-term livability, economic vitality, and sustainability of this place we call home.

Mission

Cumberland Region Tomorrow is a private, non-profit, citizen-based regional organization working with public and private partners, dedicated to planning for the future livability and economic vitality of our ten-county region. In our work we support and encourage growth planning, with emphasis on land use, transportation, and preservation of the rural landscape and character of the region’s communities.

Key Objectives:

Continue the regional discussion of quality growth
Report on growth trend data
Lead the process to develop tools and resources necessary to implement quality growth practices
Encourage collaborative action
Recognize and reward successful examples of quality growth projects throughout the region

Guiding Tenets

We recognize and support regional vision, collaboration and action as essential to maintaining and developing the region’s economic vitality, beauty and prosperity.
We value the land and open spaces of the Cumberland Region and recognize the economic, cultural and aesthetic importance of greenspace preservation.
We support the coordination of land use policy, regional transportation planning and investments, and greenspace preservation in framing responsible growth and development.
We support revitalization of main streets, town centers, existing neighborhoods and rural communities to retain their unique characteristics and economic vitality while keeping development concentrated around existing community centers.
We seek to preserve the region’s farmlands and strong agricultural heritage.
We support good stewardship practices that protect the environment including air and water, natural habitats, forests and open spaces.
We want all residents and communities to benefit from the region’s prosperity and to have equitable access to community services, good jobs, educational opportunities, quality housing, and sensible and efficient transportation options.
We support economic development, community development and land use that is in concert with housing, transportation and environmental considerations.
We value the diverse and differing views and perspectives of all residents of the region and seek to provide a venue for discussion, learning, and decision making.

Levels of Focus

Community Level – Expanding leadership and support to local growth planning and implementation through CRT Quality Growth tools, new web-based resources, communications tools, and technical assistance services

Regional Level – Expanding leadership and support to regional collaboration through POWER OF TEN Annual Summits, related regional outreach, and lead role in HUD Regional Planning Grant for regional visioning, coalition building, and implementation

State Level – New leadership in Surdna Foundation funded Tennessee Regions’ Sustainable Communities Roundtable that will catalyze adoption of Sustainable Communities Principles and Practices at the local, regional and state levels and strengthen CRT depth and strength in support of our Region’s priorities

National Level – Expanding leadership and support to Smart Growth America (SGA), federal Sustainable Communities, and Transportation for America (T4A) efforts to advance federal and state policies and incentives that support our Region’s priorities and actions

History of CRT

Cumberland Region Tomorrow was formed in 2000 by regional leaders and Vanderbilt University to provide private sector, citizen-based leadership for growth and development issues in our ten-county region in order to help our ten county region grow in a sustainable manner and to prosper.

The first stage of work from 2000 to 2003 was to define the region’s future growth trends through the CRT Regional Visioning Project and to begin a regional discussion on growth issues and opportunities. Through the Regional Visioning Project and 200+ community presentations, CRT was able to gather information on what residents of the region value and how they think growth should be guided. This effort led to the creation of the CRT Quality Growth Toolbox, released in 2006, which is still used today as the innovative source for planning and implementing Quality Growth and Sustainable Communities Principals across the Middle Tennessee region.

Other related resources have been developed and used to help local communities implement comprehensive growth planning, such as: The CRT GIS-Greenprint Tools for Quality Growth and the AFT : Robertson County Cost of Community Services Study that examines economic implications of local growth and development actions. Since CRT is a non-profit entity, our success depends upon our ability to build local leadership buy-in to the concepts of promoting quality growth rather than new land use regulations. This model has been particularly well-suited to Tennessee traditions and culture. CRT has helped community leaders recognize quality growth as a practical pathway toward becoming stronger and avoiding the consequences of unplanned growth and unsustainable development. Part of CRT’s success is that once these tools are developed, they are taken directly to the communities through local Quality Growth Advisory Committees for their use in support of local issues and opportunities.

CRT works at the regional level through the POWER OF TEN brand by convening key regional and state-level business and government leaders, economic development organizations, and related non-profit and professional groups to fulfill its role of encouraging growth planning and collaborative actions across the Middle Tennessee region. Our strategic partnerships of 50+ key partner groups proactively address six growth related issues of regional importance and has increased regional interest and understanding for regional planning and solutions.

Our mission continues today as we work with local municipalities, regional and state government and multiple partner organizations to implement quality growth plans and principles designed to create more livable, economically competitive, and sustainable communities for the next generation.

Here is a quick timeline summarizing our key accomplishments:

1999 Vanderbilt led Peirce Report published and shared at first Regional Summit.
2000 CRT becomes the first non-profit regional quality growth organization created in the state of Tennessee
2002 CRT completes the first regional visioning/scenario planning project in Middle Tennessee
2003 CRT publishes Report to the Region a groundbreaking study which reveals a clear desire by Middle Tennessean’s to growth and develop more sustainably
2006 CRT facilitates one of two national clinics for regional collaboration in partnership with the Lincoln Institute for Land Policy
2006 CRT publishes the Quality Growth Toolbox a comprehensive resource for regional growth and development challenges with specific tools and strategies to address each. The toolbox is whole heartily embraced by the planning and design community across our ten-county Middle Tennessee Region.
2007 CRT develops and implements Quality Growth Toolbox training and technical assistance in 8 of 10 Middle Tennessee CRT counties as part of Tennessee’s first regional quality growth implementation pilot project
2008 CRT staffs the Nashville Agenda Regionalism Action Team, leading to recommendations for strategic regional communication effort
2009 CRT hosts the first annual POWER OF TEN Regional Summit. The summit confirms the Six Issues of Regional Importance
2010 CRT releases the GIS Greenprint Tools for Quality Growth a groundbreaking web-based planning decision-making tool that compiles multiple GIS data layers for the ten-county Middle Tennessee region
2010 CRT partners with the Nashville Area MPO and TDOT to release the 2035 Regional Transportation Plan
2011 CRT partners with the Nashville Area MPO to host the third annual Power of Ten Regional Summit. Speakers included Governor Bill Haslam of Tennessee, Governor John Hickenlooper of Colorado, and Envision Utah Executive Director, Alan Matheson
2011 CRT is awarded the Tennessee American Planners Association Award for Regional Significance in recognition of the Quality Growth Toolbox initiative
2011 CRT receives national Surdna Foundation grant for creation of Tennessee Regions’ Sustainable Communities Roundtable