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Chattanooga is nationally recognized for its history of and commitment to involving citizens in community planning and decision making. Although it may be best known for Vision 2000, conducted in 1984 and ReVision 2000, conducted in 1993, these were predated by the Moccasin Bend Task Force planning process begin in 1982.
These processes helped to start a standard for involving citizens in the early stages of any important public effort. Chattanoogans have found that, although involving citizens as stakeholders early in any debate requires lots of time and energy, the results are more solid, better tested and more likely to be successful than without significant public input. Other outstanding examples of public planning processes include:
Futurescape ’96 A countywide visual preference survey taken by more than 2500 citizens to help shape future land use planning efforts.
Imagine Eastgate A community planning process or charrette, that resulted in a national award winning redevelopment of an underutilized first ring shopping mall from the 1960’s into a more pedestrian friendly missed use town center.
Riverfront Parkway Redesign A process to seek stakeholder ideas on the redesign of a freeway dividing downtown from the riverfront that resulted in a visionary plan to turn the parkway into an attractive pedestrian friendly urban boulevard.
Southside Redevelopment Plan Adopted by the City Council in 1997, this plan for redevelopment of a large formerly industrial area south of the central business district was produced after an intense series of community and stakeholder planning sessions. More than $200 million in new investment has occurred ranging from a variety of residential developments to a new football stadium complete with solar electricity-generating panels. The International Downtown Association gave a Special Achievement Award to Chattanooga in October 2001 for the Southside Redevelopment Plan.
21st Century Waterfront Plan Citizens turned out in February and March of 2002 to help develop a new plan for the downtown Chattanooga waterfront. |
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