Chattanooga Earns North America’s First ‘National Park City’ Designation

After years of efforts to clean up the city once dubbed the “dirtiest city in America” due to its heavily industrial economy, Chattanooga, Tennessee has transformed into an outdoor recreation capital, earning the first title of ‘National Park City’ in North America. “Within 5 to 15 minutes you can travel from downtown to any number of outdoor activities, including mountain biking, hiking, kayaking, rock climbing and more.”

According to an article by Alisha McDarris in Popular Science, “The designation celebrates what the city, residents, and non-profits have done to remodel the city’s reputation, honors the impressive access to nature the city offers, and prioritizes protection of green spaces.” The city has hired a natural resources team dedicated to restoring and preserving parks and waterways and has committed to using native vegetation and hiring horticulturists to plant and maintain thousands of new trees.

The title, first conferred on London in 2019, is given by the National Park City Foundation and awards cities “where people connect with nature and where protection of nature is a priority.” They offer residents convenient ways to spend time in nature and support biodiversity.