The city of Chattanooga and Trust for Public Land on Wednesday announced Chattanooga’s participation in the trust’s Park Equity Accelerator pilot program, a competitive grant program that seeks to address challenges cities face in improving park access.
“It’s focused specifically on how the Trust for Public Land can be resourcing some of our closest city partners to be advancing techniques and tactics to increase park access for everyone,” Noel Durant, Tennessee state director for the trust, said of the Park Equity Accelerator program during a phone interview.
He said the trust has worked closely with Chattanooga for more than 30 years.
“The city of Chattanooga has a track record of innovating, especially around how the public interacts with public spaces,” Durant said, adding that the renaissance of the city’s downtown area hinged upon public spaces. “This is sort of an opportunity to be looking at innovation and creative thinking around park access on a broader scale. We’re grateful the city of Chattanooga is willing to work with us and utilize this support to drive more equitable access for everyone in the city of Chattanooga to the outdoors.”