City of Chattanooga, TN
Comprehensive Plan with Distinct Area Plans

Chattanooga, Tennessee, set along the Tennessee River and foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, is a thriving and vibrant City known for its scenic beauty. Through the year 2040, Chattanooga and Hamilton County have projected demand for up to 46,000 households and 60,000 jobs. As people continue to migrate to the area to take advantage of the area’s natural assets, the City recognized that it is imperative that the neighborhoods, commercial centers, parks, and natural areas in the City should become even more livable and reflect a healthy balance of development with conservation.  

To ensure the creation of a resilient community, the Regional Planning Agency (RPA) divided Hamilton County into 13 areas and set out to create detailed plans for each area. Eight of these areas are within the City of Chattanooga. Plan Chattanooga, led by Planning NEXT, will create plans for each of these areas, resulting in an overall citywide growth framework and eight detailed plans. This plan will provide, for the first time in Chattanooga history, a planning framework equal to their peer cities in the U.S.  

A regional growth framework

Plan Chattanooga is a coordinated effort with surrounding Hamilton County (Plan Hamilton). A data-driven scenario modeling process was used, along with public input, to make informed choices about how Chattanooga and Hamilton County should grow in the future and what that growth could look like. Plan Chattanooga’s scenario planning process considered how changes to growth patterns might impact the quality of places, the cost of infrastructure, economic progress, impact on the environment, and more. 

Placemaking through centers and corridors

To promote good placemaking, Plan Chattanooga uses Place Types to influence the form and character of development, along with a Centers and Corridors Approach that guides different types of development to the best locations. This approach helps prioritize where city and county resources are invested and provides a clear vision for where private growth and investment is encouraged. 

Focus area planning

The eight area plans of Plan Chattanooga address parcel-based future land use and character using the Place Type palette and priority transportation projects for each area. Block level demonstrations to show how the design concepts in the plan could apply to specific locations. Many of these development concepts and supporting recommendations are applicable to the redevelopment of a number of centers identified during the Plan Chattanooga process and are used to guide city departments and other agencies as they prioritize various capital improvements and programs. 

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Tags

Project Type: comprehensive plan with distinct area plans
Community Type: city
Client: City of Chattanooga
Services: comprehensive planning, area planning, land use planning, community engagement