[jmecklenborg]

As a former resident of Tennessee, I can attest that people outside the Southeast don't understand that Nashville and Charlotte both anticipate growing into very large cities. Not as large as Atlanta (currently 6+ million), but definitely 3+ million by the 2030s. Each have learned by what Atlanta has done wrong.

Nashville implemented form-based code around 2010 which is motivating a ton of tear-downs and densification in what were formerly very low-density inner-ring suburbs. The light rail subway plan that failed at the polls earlier this year was big-time because Nashville needs a big-time solution. The traffic there is truly awful and its physical layout is incredibly complicated (much more complicated than it appears at first glance on Google Earth).

Charlotte lucked out by having the usable downtown rail corridor (perhaps the only city that lucked out to a greater extent was St. Louis). But an east-west corridor needs to be underground if it's going not just be an alternative to cars but something that truly forms a spine around which the city functions.

Nashville and Charlotte have ever intention of upzoning and encouraging midrise construction along their rail lines. They aren't going to let valuable land 1-2 miles from downtown be wasted by park & ride lots.