Last year, Chattanooga leaders unveiled their first long-term vision for the park system in a quarter-century — one that strives to ensure the vast majority of city residents live within a short walk or bike ride from a place to commune with nature.
Now, officials are trying to implement that plan and have set aside nearly $18.8 million in the proposed budget for various projects: extensions to a walking path along a former rail line, a new skate park, construction drawings for the city’s largest urban park and more. About a third of the funding comes from outside sources.
“When we look at our economic competitiveness for our city, access to the outdoors and these parks and these trails is every bit as much infrastructure as pipes and EPB networks,” Scott Martin, director of the city’s parks department, said in a phone call. “People move here for the quality of life, and we know these parks make people healthier.”
The Chattanooga City Council will vote on the budget in June. The city’s budget year runs from July 1 to June 30, 2025.