Aaron M. Renn says that Nashville has very few significant assets in comparison with other Midwestern cities, but it appears to poised for significant growth. What's happening in Nashville?
Renn writes that one of the reasons Nashville is growing is ambition -- city officials have put a lot of will behind the city growing and have channeled investment amenities like a new convention center and spacious highways. The city is taking an extreme pro-growth and pro-business attitude:
"Every development in the Midwest is opposed by some group of NIMBY's. Densification, even in downtown areas, is often anathema to influential neighbors. Not in Nashville. Huge tracts of inner city are being rebuilt from vacant lots or single family homes into multi-story town houses or condos. There are midrises all over the place. It does not appear that development has any problem getting approved there."
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