called the “dirtiest city in America.” By all accounts, Chat- tanooga has pulled off an impressive transformation, from decaying industrial river town to a regional standout for urban quality of life. Now, Chattanooga must turn its attention to protect-
ing the ground it’s gained, optimizing its celebrated park system as armor against rising temperatures and intensify- ing storms. The value of green space as infrastructure is not as easy to see as its beauty: after all, natural systems for managing water and heat often do their work in thin air or below the surface, visible only when charted on a map. But with a climate-smart strategy, forward-thinking cities can harness parks’ potential to meet the challenges of a chang- ing climate—creating livable communities for generations to come.
“Chattanooga is a great place to work,” says Tennessee State Director Rick Wood. “There’s a culture of getting outdoors and embracing new ideas.”
Spears Avenue School, which once stood on the site of the Stringer’s Ridge pump track. When builders broke ground to start shaping the track’s jumps and berms, they found the remains of the school buried underneath—and incor- porated its old stone walls into the track’s design. When developers targeted Stringer’s Ridge for an
extensive condo project, Darby was among their most vocal opponents. The building plan required leveling the ridgeline, and Darby and her neighbors feared that erosion and runoff would foul the houses below. The successful conservation of the property was a relief,
its transformation into a much-loved park a bonus. “I think it looks good with all the green around us,” Darby says. “When you cross the bridge coming this way and look up, it looks real nice.” Chattanooga’s lush backdrop is often one of the first
thing visitors notice—and no wonder: it’s easy to appreci- ate green space for its beauty, especially in a place once
top: The Spears Avenue pump track. bottom: The overlook at Stringer’s Ridge. 38 · LAND&PEOPLE · SPRING/SUMMER 2015
hollis bennett
mandy rhoden
jason myers
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