Vision City Conference Presented by Franklin Tomorrow and SEASIDE Institute

“For many years, Franklin Tomorrow has wanted to host a “Vision City Conference” in Franklin in place of visiting another city and 2024 is that year, in partnership with SEASIDE Institute™, which first came to Franklin in 2004 (and again in 2005).

In the past, Franklin Tomorrow has visited the following cities, including Carmel, Ind.; Greenville, S.C.; Mt. Pleasant, S.C.; Alpharetta, Ga.; Serenbe, Ga.; and last year, Huntsville, Ala.

Often when we begin to make connections with these communities experiencing rapid growth while maintaining a strong financial base, they say, “You are calling from Franklin, Tenn.? That’s a visionary city.” Over the last several years, many communities from across the country have visited Franklin to see our planning & development process, parks and understand the culture.

In 2004 SEASIDE Institute™ worked 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 dates are Oct. 15-17 and the 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 three tenets of SEASIDE Institute™ are Sustainability, Connectivity, and Adaptability, beliefs which we think resonate with residents in Franklin and Middle Tennessee.

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. Out-of-town attendees are being encouraged to stay at The Harpeth Hotel or the Spring Hill Suites at McEwen.”