As Nashville becomes increasingly unaffordable for working families, we’re pushed into neighborhoods most exposed to industrial harm, with less and less power to fight back. That has to change.
New greenways and traffic calming make affluent neighborhoods more livable. Meanwhile, working families reside next to the rail yard, beside rock quarries and within breathing distance of waste facilities. These are not coincidences, but a result of decades of inequitable development choices.
Children growing up near industrial sites face higher asthma rates and lower academic achievement due to the toxic environments that surround them. Air pollution harms brain development and contributes to chronic respiratory illness, making it harder to focus, sleep and thrive. Constant industrial noise disrupts rest and study, while the absence of green space and tutoring opportunities reduce their resilience against these challenges…