'They need a boost': The past and present of Chattanooga's parks

Fast facts:

Chattanooga’s park facilities scored a C+ in overall quality and condition, according to a recent inventory by the Parks & Outdoors Department

The city has 6.9 park acres per 1,000 residents, compared to a national average of 9.9 acres
Thirty-five percent of Chattanoogans live within a 10-minute walk of a park or trailhead. Almost three-quarters of city residents reach their favorite park by car, per Parks & Outdoors data

The original parks plan

In 1911, noted landscape architect John Nolen published a set of recommendations for Chattanooga’s park system. Among his proposals were expanding East Lake Park, planning a stadium at Olympia Playfield (now Warner Park), and a “wild mountain park” on Stringer’s Ridge.

“The establishment of a system of parks and pleasure grounds for a rapidly growing city is one of the most difficult and responsible duties that ever falls to a city government,” Nolen wrote.

Scott Martin agrees. He assumed his role as administrator of the Parks & Outdoors Department last year when City Council brought all parks responsibilities under one roof. (For example, Public Works previously oversaw maintenance, and the Economic and Community Development Department controlled Outdoor Chattanooga.)

More than a century past the Nolen plan, Chattanooga continues to grow, and Martin said he wants the park system to keep pace. But there’s work to do.

A map accompanying the recommendations made by John Nolen in his 1911 work "General Features of a Park System for Chattanooga, Tennessee."

Where we’re falling short

A recent inventory performed by Parks & Outdoors found Chattanooga’s number of park acres and playgrounds per person fell below the national average. The study reported we’d need an additional 540 acres and 14 playgrounds to catch up.

The green spaces we have now are falling short, too. More than 60% of parks received scores indicating they were on the verge of losing functionality or had already begun to do so, according to the department.

“Boulevard Park is in rough shape,” Martin said. “Carver Park is in rough shape. We've got repairs that we should do to the system, because while we want to count those as parks now, they need a boost.”

Historical underinvestment in some of Chattanooga's neighborhoods and city leaders "losing the narrative" around park planning have contributed to the problem, Martin said.

Another issue is the need to split resources between our signature parks — Ross’ Landing, Coolidge Park, the Riverwalk, and others — and smaller, more numerous neighborhood parks.

While riverfront attractions boost tourism and the local economy, Martin said it's the Boulevards and Carvers that support the health of Chattanoogans day-to-day.

"It doesn't matter if we're on the cover of Garden & Gun and Outside magazine," he said. "What matters is if we build a livable city with a great quality of life for the folks that live here."

Room for growth

On a clear spring afternoon behind Carver Community Center, the park is quiet. No one is at the basketball courts — with their four netless hoops — or using the exercise equipment sitting beside a silent playground. A few people gather around a table, but the walking paths are empty.

East Chattanooga resident Dolores Crumity said that’s common for Carver and some of the neighborhood parks around her.

“It’s a ghost town,” Crumity said. “You go downtown, you see people walking. They need to put events out here like they do downtown. And so the neighborhood and the older people can feel safe out here — more security, please.”

Safety concerns and lacking maintenance have pushed Crumity and her mom to drive out of the neighborhood to the Tennessee River Park to exercise and relax.

But she said she wants to see Carver revitalized as both a place to meet friends and hold gatherings like festivals, cookouts, or even outdoor movie screenings.

“We want everybody just to be able to sit around and love the area, love the view,” Crumity said.

A great illustration

East Lake Park is a different story. A nearly $3 million investment there has made it a safer, more attractive spot, said Jazmine LeBlanc, an East Lake resident and executive director of the local nonprofit ELLA Library.

While it’s still a neighborhood hub, it also draws people from across the city and attracts events like last month’s Southern Tree Climbing Championship.

East Lake’s more than century-long history in Chattanooga gives it a special status in the park system (the 1911 Nolen Plan described it as “the best illustration in Chattanooga of what a neighborhood park may be”). And with resources spread thin, not every park receives as much attention.

Still, LeBlanc thinks improving park basics from accessibility features to water fountains and bathrooms are necessary for Chattanooga’s families.

“A park doesn’t have to be a big, shiny thing,” LeBlanc said. “It really just needs to be a well-preserved green space where people can get a little bit of tranquility and get grounded and reset themselves.”

A walking trail in the rear section of Carver Park at 600 N. Orchard Knob Ave. At 23.8 acres, it's among the top 10 largest community parks in Chattanooga.

A century in the making

One-hundred-twelve years after John Nolen’s work, the upcoming Parks & Outdoors Plan will be the department’s roadmap for the next few decades.

Scott Martin said the initial focus will be addressing access and quality issues in existing parks, building to a better overall system through small improvements. The plan will prioritize areas that haven't received public investment in the past and will map future green spaces around the new, diverse communities that are growing with Chattanooga.

But it will take investment from the city, local partners, and volunteers to make the department’s vision a reality.

“I think what (City) Council, and the mayor, and we're all hearing is, 'Come up with a plan, come up with the resources, and then go engage the community and build what they want,'” Martin said. “And we’ve got a profound story to do it.”

Parks & Outdoors expects to present its plan to City Council in June with more specifics about funding, projects, and timelines. You can learn more about the department's work on the plan so far here.

Getting involved with parks

You can sign up for the Chattanooga Park Stewards Volunteer Program to participate in activities like litter pickup, invasive plant removal and native plant installation, and reporting maintenance needs at parks.

Chattanooga’s 311 service also accepts reports about park issues. Dial 311, email 311@chattanooga.gov, or go here to submit a request.