Invest in our city’s shared experiences
When conversations arise about economic development, we often default to buildings, infrastructure, recruitment and the next big investment. Those matter. But after years working alongside students, nonprofits, artists, local business owners and community leaders, we’ve become convinced the most important infrastructure in any city isn’t physical. It’s relational.
In Chattanooga, we often talk about placemaking. We invest in parks, plazas, streetscapes, public art and gathering spaces. But a beautiful public space without social connection is simply a backdrop.
Organizations like Be The Change Youth Initiative that help create those connections are often the least visible and least invested in. Artists create shared experiences and help communities tell their stories. Young people bring energy, ideas and a sense of possibility. Community does not emerge by accident; it grows through repeated interaction, shared experiences and mutual investment.
As Chattanooga considers its future, I hope we remember thriving cities are not built solely through technology, data centers or large-scale development. The deeper question is what kind of relationships we want Chattanooga to foster. In the long run, the strongest cities invest in the people and institutions that help neighbors become a community.