Chattanooga’s original parks plan was developed in 1911 by a well-known landscape architect and planner named John Nolen, who is also recognized today for his design of the cityscape in Madison, Wisconsin.
In Chattanooga, the plan contemplated a trail system along the Tennessee River, a park at Moccasin Bend, a greenway along Chattanooga Creek and three parks in the urban core.
“There was a time in America where getting these designers into your community was the same as getting an NFL franchise today,” Scott Martin, administrator of the department of Parks and Outdoors, said in an interview Tuesday. “We’re going to try to build on this. That’s aspirational, but dagnabbit, you either shape the city you want or you get the city you get. If we’ve learned anything, it’s about being proactive and leaning into your space that matters most.”
Hoping to stay ahead of population growth, boost park acreage per resident and eliminate barriers that make it difficult to access public green spaces, Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly is unveiling a long-term plan that would improve existing recreation facilities while also adding hundreds of acres of park space over the next few decades. Staff presented the plan Tuesday to the Chattanooga City Council. The panel will vote on it next week.
The updated document would extend the original vision of Nolen’s plan — created before the advent of the automobile — to outlying, fast-growing parts of Chattanooga while also helping the city secure eligibility for state and federal grants, which have previously gone to peer cities like Knoxville. Kelly said officials aim to leverage assets that no other city can boast: Chattanooga’s parks and natural green spaces.