National Park City

The Only City in North America where "Go Outside" is a Civic Identity, not a Suggestion. 

Chattanooga is one of only four National Park Cities in the world. The designation carries a mandate: treat the entire city as a national park - maintained, stewarded, and accessible for everyone. A city that was once named America's dirtiest now holds a designation fewer than a handful of cities on Earth can claim. This is a story arc that has defined our city's growth. It's the story about what a community can decide to become. Spoiler: It's all about the people.

Story Angles

• The Comeback Story: America's dirtiest city to its only National Park City. A 40-year arc told through the people who stayed and rebuilt it. It's a story of community pride, grit. and visionary thinking. 
• The Access Story: What it actually means to live inside a National Park City - on a Tuesday, on a lunch break, with no gear and no plan. 
• The River Cane Story: A restoration project at Moccasin Bend is bringing back a plant that defined Cherokee life and landscape. Who is doing it and why it matters now. (That's just one example of many different entry points to Chattanooga's overall story. We've got a full list. Let's talk.)
• The Seeds Story: A city voting on what its National Park City identity means in practice. Community takes over the ownership of the National Park City efforts. It's happening now.