Simply over 50 years in the past, in 1969, Chattanooga, Tennessee, was labeled probably the most polluted metropolis in the US. At the moment, unregulated industrial emissions had degraded air high quality a lot that drivers typically had to make use of headlights in the course of the day. However that environmental disaster spurred a community-driven initiative that revitalized the downtown and riverfront areas, reworking former industrial websites into public areas like parks and trails. Now, the neighborhood has claimed a brand-new title: the primary Nationwide Park Metropolis in the US.
This distinction is granted by the U.Okay.-based Nationwide Park Metropolis Basis, a grassroots effort aiming to make cities extra environmentally pleasant that’s impressed by the “long-term and large-scale imaginative and prescient of nationwide parks,” per the group’s web site. (To make clear, this isn’t a part of the U.S. Nationwide Park System, which incorporates nationwide parks, nationwide monuments, nationwide preserves, and extra.) The designation means Chattanooga is likely one of the cities main the cost on what the way forward for city life may appear like—greener, more healthy, and extra linked to nature.
“Right here in Chattanooga, we’ve used the Nationwide Park Metropolis motion to encourage people to consider Chattanooga as a metropolis in a park moderately than a metropolis with some parks in it,” Chattanooga mayor Tim Kelly mentioned in a video saying the designation. “The outside is our aggressive benefit. It’s on the coronary heart of our story of revitalization, and it’s core to our identification. We’ve all the time recognized how particular Chattanooga’s connection to the outside is, and now it’ll be acknowledged all over the world.”
It’s now the third Nationwide Park Metropolis on the earth—London grew to become the primary in 2019, and Adelaide, Australia, was named the second in 2021. To earn the title, Chattanooga needed to submit a complete digital portfolio explaining the way it met the 23 standards, together with detailing its environmental stewardship efforts and sustainable agriculture practices.
In accordance with the Nationwide Park Metropolis Basis, whose members traveled to Chattanooga earlier this yr to confirm the applying and authorized the bid a month later, the town’s marketing campaign was grounded in its “legacy of change” from some of the polluted cities within the nation to an out of doors vacation spot.
In a information launch after the designation’s announcement, Alison Barnes, trustee of the Nationwide Park Metropolis Basis, mentioned the standing “introduces a brand new chapter for a metropolis with an extended historical past of revitalization and renewal by connecting its distinctive panorama and the historical past of its individuals.”
Make a journey to Chattanooga
There’s lots to see and expertise in Tennessee’s fourth largest metropolis. Right here’s a fast information.
What to do
Guests eager on experiencing Chattanooga’s outside alternatives can hike the bluff trails at Stringer’s Ridge for skyline views or head up Lookout Mountain for the jaw-dropper combo of Sundown Rock, Level Park, and Ruby Falls. The Tennessee Riverwalk runs 13 miles from St. Elmo to Chickamauga Dam, making it good for cyclists, runners, or for a lazy stroll with espresso in hand. Paddleboarders can cruise the calm downtown stretch of the Tennessee River, whereas adrenaline-chasers have the choice of heading to the Ocoee River for whitewater rafting. And for those who simply wish to chill out within the solar, Coolidge Park has a carousel, splash pad, and the type of riverfront garden made for picnics.
The place to eat
After a day exploring Chattanooga’s scenic landscapes, try the town’s vibrant culinary scene. For a style of the South, Public Home is an area favourite for dishes like buttermilk fried hen and shrimp and grits, whereas Ernest Chinese language provides fashionable Sichuan dishes. On the subject of drinks, No Exhausting Emotions is an elegant spot downtown recognized for its inventive cocktails, like a pistachio Mai Tai.
The place to remain
The Edwin Lodge, Autograph Assortment, is a more recent, dog-friendly possibility downtown with a powerful artwork assortment. Suites have marble loos, spacious residing areas, and views of the Tennessee River. There’s additionally a rooftop pool, spa, and a patio bar known as the Whiskey Thief.
