An aerial view of the Porch Project by Andrew Wang, WMWA Landscape Architects
Collaborative Redevelopment
Chattanooga has had many success stories of large-scale redevelopment projects, like the 21st Century Waterfront Plan, drafted in 2000 by local non-profit and economic development engine River City Company. This project transformed the Riverfront and Ross’s Landing from highways and parking lots to what it is today – a place for both residents and visitors to enjoy Chattanooga’s natural beauty and character.
As president and CEO Emily Mack describes it, River City Company aims to create an inclusive, world-class downtown for everyone “by fostering a vibrant and thriving downtown that is the economic, social, and cultural center of Chattanooga.” This mission is demonstrated by several more recently completed projects, including the redevelopment of Walnut Plaza, Patten Parkway, and Miller Park. All have been successful thanks to the “devoted, visionary, and collaborative teams that made them happen,” Mack says.
Walnut Plaza, in particular, was a joint effort between River City Company, The Ed Johnson Memorial Project, and the City of Chattanooga to optimize pedestrian safety and comfort in one of the most-used public spaces in the city. During that process, Mack explains, “the independently formed group of residents, historians, artists, and community leaders came together to lead the Ed Johnson Memorial Project and create a memorial to acknowledge the lynching, honor courageous work, and promote racial healing and reconciliation in Chattanooga.”
With support from many community partners and sponsors, the Ed Johnson Memorial Project Committee led the project by raising the funds and selecting the artist to tell the narrative history of this event and expand the public’s knowledge of its significance. This idea of redevelopment being about more than just profit, convenience, or beauty is something Eric Myers, the executive director of Chattanooga Design Studio, a people-centered urban design nonprofit, emphasized as well. “There are spaces in the city that hold a lot of deep pain, but also a lot of really beautiful spaces for redemption,” he says.
Both projects combined the expertise of artists, engineers, landscape architects, and urban designers in partnership with funding organizations and the City of Chattanooga to create a beautiful and meaningful addition to the city’s downtown and demonstrate that the longevity of these significant projects can outlast trends or political administrations. The City of Chattanooga is a key player in these city-defining projects, and every administration is invested in creating something that lasts far beyond their term. Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly acknowledged the years of work done on the Ed Johnson Memorial Project before his term and emphasized his pride in participating in the memorial’s unveiling. “I ran for office to tackle Chattanooga’s biggest challenges and projects, and I feel we are really starting to make some exciting progress,” he said.
Another, smaller-scale example of a project designed for connection is the Porch Project, completed in 2020. In collaboration with many local partners and the residents of Patten Towers, Chattanooga Design Studio identified a high-use social place and redesigned it to both better suit the community’s needs and provide a place for increased connection and new traffic. Among other elements, they added more flexible seating options that offered space for games and parties as well as art and landscaping. This demonstrates what Myers believes to be their purpose, explaining their role as “community weavers” that “unite the community by creating plans for accessible, timeless spaces that both honor the past and change the way the community sees a vision for decades.”
This rendering by Dover, Kohl & Partners re-imagines Broad Street to feel like a street within a park.
