One of the geniuses of an effective public space is its ability to be successful despite challenges. Capitol View’s Frankie Pierce Park showcases such ingenuity. Named for the late and influential Black suffrage movement leader Juno Frankie Seay Pierce — many of her social-services endeavors directly benefited the residents who lived in what is now the North Gulch — Frankie Pierce Park is smallish (2.5 acres) and somewhat isolated (sandwiched between two railroad tracks that limit visibility). But the tiny and quirky green space packs a powerful punch. Pierce Park is open both to the general public and to tenants and residents of Capitol View, a result of a public-private partnership with Metro Nashville and developer Boyle Nashville. It offers sand volleyball courts, a playground, a dog park and a yoga lawn. Located at 120 LifeWay Plaza, the park is also a trailhead for the Gulch Greenway, completing a link in the system and connecting Capitol View to a system of more than 190 miles of biking and running trails throughout Davidson County. Pierce (1864-1954) served on committees for the Red Cross, YMCA and YWCA, founded the Nashville Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs and the Tennessee Vocational School for Colored Girls, and addressed the state suffrage convention at the state capitol in 1920. Her legacy is honored by this wonderful, diminutive park. WILLIAM WILLIAMS
Best New Public Green Space
Frankie Pierce Park at Capitol View
