. . . and just the third in the world.
Each time my family drove toward the “Ridge Cut” above Chattanooga, we took turns guessing what view might greet us in the valley below. Should we hope to see the city and the Tennessee River beyond? Or, would there once again be a thick blanket of particulate matter pollution obscuring the scene? Often, the latter was true. It was the early 1970s and “The Scenic City” had recently been named the most polluted city in the country.
These many decades of work later, there is no longer a reason to guess about what view awaits – Chattanooga is now the First National Park City in North America!
This distinction, shared by only two other cities worldwide (London, England and Adelaide, Australia) is a recognition of a “legacy of change … [and] introduces a new chapter for a city with a long history of revitalization and renewal.”
According to the National Park City Foundation, “Chattanooga delivered an exciting and exemplary vision … to deliver unrivaled access to nature, a culture of outdoor activity, environmental stewardship and education, inclusive and sustainable development, community and cultural enrichment, with improved support for food and agriculture and arts and creativity.”
Mayor Tim Kelly: “We’ve used the National Park City movement to encourage folks to think about Chattanooga as a city in a park, rather than a city with some parks in it.”
To learn more, visit nationalparkcity.org/chattanooga-becomes-the-first-national-park-city-in-north-america
The story above first appeared in our July / August 2025 issue.
