Support Us Button Widget

New Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors Plan for 2023

Big things are coming to the parks and outdoors department, find out what the blueprint looks like.

NOOGAtoday | Coolidge fountains

The plan will focus on key areas to create a better experience when interacting with outdoor spaces around the community.

Photo by @drewbeach_

Table of Contents

Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly + the Parks and Outdoors Department have released the 2023 Parks and Outdoors Plan (POP) — the first one in 25 years.

The plan will be guided by the vision of turning Chattanooga into a “city in a park,” where residents and tourists have access to green spaces + recreational facilities that are built and maintained with this intention.

POP was built on the five principles of access, equity, nature, place, and quality. Design Workshop consultants + the park’s team gave the city a grade of C+, with less than 20% of parks being up to date.

Note: The department will address key issues in a scale of short, medium + long-term plans.

Short term

  • Fix | Address maintenance across the parks system including water fountains, 19 park upgrades or redevelopment + identify workforce needs
  • Build | Seven neighborhood parks to close critical gaps, four facilities for recreational needs + build on existing redesign plans for parks like Montague
  • Connect | 16 miles of new greenway trails, fill trail gaps through citizen-led commission, lay the groundwork for new Missionary Ridge system + create access for 28 miles of blueways for a paddling trail
  • Preserve | Permanently protect 560+ acres of existing city land for wildlife, create an urban ecology system while restoring environments + becoming the first National Park City in the Americas
NOOGAtoday | Nolan Park plan

These plans showing the general features of a park system in Chattanooga were drawn by landscape architect John Nolen.

Illustration courtesy Cornell University Library

The blueprints used inspirations from past plans — Nolen Park Plan for Chattanooga (1911), the Riverfront Plan (1985), and the ReCreate 2008 Plan (1998). See the full plan + executive summary for more details on the medium and long-term initiatives.

The POP also came to fruition through public input where the department asked residents for their vision during surveys, interviews, focus groups + more.

Note: The time frame of the plan + its goals will be dependent on annual budgets determined by the city council and administration.

More from NOOGAtoday
Bookmark this guide for a curated list of events taking place each month that we’re most looking forward to.
We’ve got the key info you need for the Mocs’, Vols’, and Titans’ first home games.
Whether you’re just dreaming or actually house hunting, here’s a peek inside the most expensive listings currently for sale in the Scenic City.
No cash? No problem. Whether you are spending a day or a lifetime in Chattanooga, these are some of the best offerings that won’t break the bank.
No boat? No problem. Rent one Airbnb-style and start enjoying the waterways.
Historic flooding on Tuesday, Aug. 12, left many Chattanoogans in crisis. Here’s how you can support them.
The IBMA World of Bluegrass® will be held in Chattanooga from Tuesday, Sept. 16, through Saturday, Sept. 20.
The concept is taking over South Korea’s capital city. We’re thinking about where we’d copy it in the Scenic City.
Reach your local community with our help.
The annual fair returns to Lebanon’s James E. Ward Agricultural Center Thursday, Aug. 14-Saturday, Aug. 23.