Chattanooga Forward Public Meetings

Chattanooga has made a name for itself by focusing on "place" and creating places that are beautiful and authentic. This is still important as our city continues to grow, but it is also evident that in order to move "Chattanooga Forward", we need to put a renewed emphasis on people....how to grow our city in ways that everyone can take advantage of this wonderful community we call home.

One of the best things about community participation is seeing our city from different perspectives. Several "write in" suggestions included enhanced services to make our city welcoming for those with disabilities, adding more public restrooms and water fountains for families and to make sure what is built is that of quality.

From the Downtown Taskforce, this includes how to make it more affordable to live downtown and how to enhance transportation, so that our roads are not just for cars, but include pedestrians and bicycles and more public transportation options. We are also looking at how to connect UTC better to downtown, create better public space and initiatives to fill empty office space and encourage new development. We received overwhelming response for the need to increase downtown housing options and for enhancing our transportation initiatives. This community feedback is important as the city looks at priorities for next year.

There is no doubt the Chattanooga Way is alive and well. Please come out and take part by giving input about how to grow YOUR city at the next public forum on May 22nd.

Kim White

Chair of the Downtown Task Force