Plan Chattanooga is the city’s first comprehensive plan, establishing a 20-year framework for growth, infrastructure, and development. It tackles critical issues such as housing, transportation, environmental sustainability, and public space, with a goal of ensuring Chattanooga’s long-term equity, resilience, and prosperity.

The planning process began in mid-2023 and involved extensive community engagement through surveys, public workshops, and technical analyses. At its core, Plan Chattanooga serves as a long-term policy guide, directing land use and infrastructure decisions. While it doesn’t change zoning laws or guarantee funding, it outlines the path for sustainable growth and development.

The plan focuses on four primary goals: improving places, transportation systems, housing, and parks and natural environments. Its “corridors and centers” approach encourages growth in concentrated areas, creating walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods while protecting natural areas and optimizing infrastructure.

One of the plan’s key tools is the Place Type map, which guides development in different parts of the city, aligning land use with transportation systems to promote more accessible, livable neighborhoods.

Mend Collaborative played a central role in the plan’s development, particularly focusing on housing, equity, parks, open spaces, and natural systems. We also crafted the engagement strategy and contributed to redevelopment strategies within the area plans, helping guide revitalization efforts in key neighborhoods for a more inclusive and sustainable Chattanooga.