The City of Chattanooga has entered into a partnership with Trust for Public Land’s 10-Minute Walk Park Equity Accelerator, a new initiative designed to expand residents’ access to parks.
The 10-Minute Walk campaign was created to help cities ensure that every resident can access a park or green space no farther than a 10-minute walk from their home. According to Trust for Public Land’s ParkServe database, only 39 percent of Chattanooga residents currently live within a 10-minute walk of a park, and only 8 percent of the city’s land is used for parks, compared to the national median of 15 percent.
As Chattanooga finalizes its Parks and Outdoors Plan, participation in the accelerator will help ensure the city is using best practices and high-impact policies to scale-up quality park creation and address barriers to park access. Chattanooga joins Cleveland, Ohio; Fort Worth, Texas; Lexington, Ky.; Los Angeles, Calif.; and Scranton, Pa. in the inaugural cohort of the initiative, which will provide direct resources and technical assistance over a period of 12-15 months.
“Quality parks and green spaces advance the mental and physical health of our communities, revitalize our neighborhoods, and create a more sustainable future for our city,” said Mayor Tim Kelly. “I am committed to making sure every resident has close-to-home access to the extensive benefits parks provide, and the 10-Minute Walk Campaign's Park Equity Accelerator will help make this possible for Chattanooga.”
In partnership with Trust for Public Land, the city will develop and field-test innovative ideas to tackle inequitable park access, from gaps in safe routes and green space connections to finding ways to better engage residents in park planning. The results will help the Parks and Outdoors team implement the most effective policies and strategies to advance local park access and quality in Chattanooga.
"I am excited and proud to join the 10 Minute Walk Campaign's Park Equity Accelerator,” said Scott Martin, Administrator of Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors. “As we look to finalize our Parks and Outdoors Plan, this innovative collaboration will help ensure we provide every Chattanoogan with access to quality green spaces, regardless of their zip code."
Trust for Public Land will leverage its experience with Chattanooga and others in the inaugural cohort to scale the model to additional cities. The initial cohort of cities were chosen based on their commitment to advancing local park goals; readiness to explore, experiment with, and adopt new strategies or approaches; and potential to advance field understanding around a common issue or challenge.
“We know parks are vital for healthy communities, and that investment in parks is game-changing for resilient and thriving cities. However, years of policies and practices have resulted in underinvestment in neighborhoods, exacerbating this park equity gap, and denying
millions the health, climate, and social benefits of close-to-home access to the outdoors,” said Bianca Shulaker, Senior Director of Trust for Public Land’s 10-Minute Walk program. “Given the urgency and scale of this nature gap, we’re excited to be launching these partnerships with communities to advance policy and other systems changes that will accelerate equitable access to quality park spaces.”
"All residents in Chattanooga should be able to enjoy the benefits of parks - from improved mental and physical health, to greater connectedness and social cohesion, to better protection from the risks of heat and pollution - regardless of where they live,” said Noel Durant, Tennessee State Director for Trust for Public Land.
In June, Chattanooga opened its Parks and Outdoors Plan for resident input to give community members a voice in the future of the city’s parks system. The final plan will provide a road map to reinvent Chattanooga as a city in a park, with a system of parks and protected open spaces that provides all residents the opportunity to easily connect with each other while enjoying nature and its benefits. Residents can add their voice to the Parks and Outdoors Plan by completing a survey at cha.city/pop.