In the heart of Tennessee, where the Tennessee River cuts through Appalachian foothills, Chattanooga has achieved something remarkable\u2014becoming America's first National Park City. This honor reflects not just the city\u2019s natural beauty, but a deliberate effort led by Mayor Tim Kelly to map strategies for conservation and economic development using geographic information systems (GIS) technology.<\/p>\r\n
The mayor\u2019s approach represents a shift in how cities think about their natural assets. Rather than view green spaces as amenities that compete with development, Chattanooga embraces what Mayor Kelly calls \u201cliving in a park with a city in it, rather than a city with parks in it.\u201d<\/p>\r\n
This philosophy, combined with sophisticated GIS mapping and analytics, helps the city quantify and protect what may be its greatest competitive advantage: It sits in one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet where opportunities for outdoor adventure abound.<\/p>\r\n
Chattanooga\u2019s story proves cities can serve environmental stewardship while driving economic growth. By mapping and analyzing its data with GIS, the city has discovered hidden assets, secured major federal grants, and attracted talent.<\/p>\r\n
This interview has been edited and condensed.<\/em><\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":" Mayor Kelly:<\/strong> When I was a docent at the Tennessee Aquarium back in 1992, I was in charge of the catfish tanks, learning about the more than 280 native species of fish in the Tennessee River. The aquarium hammered home to us that the Tennessee River Valley, where Chattanooga sits, is as significant as the Yangtze River Valley in China, the most biodiverse place on the planet. That\u2019s shocking when you think about it. We don\u2019t talk about that enough or recognize it widely enough.<\/p>\r\n That\u2019s why all this conservation work matters. It\u2019s why we\u2019re putting such intentional focus on native species preservation. We\u2019re also in the middle of a major flyway\u2014my former parks director was a bird nerd and was delighted to learn that this is like Grand Central Station for birds. There\u2019s a tremendous number of migrating birds that come over and through Chattanooga, contributing to our biodiversity.<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"gallery","gallery_images":[757212,757222,757202]},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":" Mayor Kelly:<\/strong> One of the most frustrating things when I came into office was that nobody could tell me what we owned. There was no spreadsheet, no list of all the publicly owned buildings and property. They literally couldn\u2019t provide that basic information.<\/p>\r\n I\u2019m a map geek. In what little spare time I have, I poke around our county GIS site. I discovered a fascinating piece of land, a really unique oxbow, just by clicking around on our GIS map. When I clicked on it, I realized we owned it. That discovery led us to put that land into permanent conservation.<\/p>\r\n The same thing happened with Walden Park, which was this orphaned parcel that the city didn\u2019t even understand it owned. We found it through GIS. Most of it was in the floodplain, so we made the decision to put it in permanent conservation. Once we realized what we had, we went through a public asset workshop to identify every parcel we own.<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"quote","image":757302,"text":"The National Park City movement helps us with climate resilience by being smarter about what we develop and where.","author_name":"Chattanooga, Tennessee","author_profession_organization":"Mayor Tim Kelly"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":" Mayor Kelly:<\/strong> The feds love data, and GIS allows us to quantify and communicate our situation effectively. As a mayor, I can\u2019t spend all day driving around looking at stuff, but I can sit at my desk and look at a GIS map and learn a tremendous amount about my city. Then I can communicate those datasets so grant makers can make grants with a high degree of confidence.<\/p>\r\n Our GIS team, working with the team at the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, has been instrumental in identifying our 5.3 million tree crowns within city limits and how we manage, preserve, and grow them. We didn\u2019t even have a tree ordinance before, which was shocking to discover. The combination of detailed mapping data and clear conservation goals made our grant application compelling.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Mayor Kelly:<\/strong> Companies now have to go where their employees want to be, unless they\u2019re fully remote\u2014and if employees can be anywhere, why wouldn\u2019t they choose the place with the best quality of life? The tourism pitch is now the same as the classic Chamber of Commerce pitch because talent has become the coin of the realm.<\/p>\r\n We\u2019ve had over 1,000 people making $100,000 a year move here recently, which would be the biggest economic news in 20 years if they were all from one company. But they\u2019re on this long tail\u2014we don\u2019t know who they are, there\u2019s no club, no ID. I can\u2019t go to one CEO and get them all. They\u2019re just here because of all these natural assets we offer.<\/p>\r\n It\u2019s fascinating\u2014I keep hearing anecdotal stories of people who actually created spreadsheets, force-ranking different cities on attributes like outdoor access, arts scene, and quality of life. One guy told me he did this internationally and narrowed it down to us versus Geneva, Switzerland. It\u2019s definitely a thing.<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":757172,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":"https:\/\/pwgis.chattanooga.gov\/portal\/apps\/webappviewer\/index.html?id=6fe50a4276874f76b89a78d5fd573ce9&_gl=1*w98zuj*_ga*MTMxOTg1NDI0My4xNzQ4NDYzMjMx*_ga_5SBPHRK8VH*czE3NDg0NjMyMzAkbzEkZzEkdDE3NDg0NjMyNzAkajIwJGwwJGgw"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":" Mayor Kelly:<\/strong> A lot of the land we discovered through GIS mapping was in floodplains, which made the decision to put it in permanent conservation easier. Not only does this help with climate resilience, but it also provides opportunities for recreation when those areas aren\u2019t flooded.<\/p>\r\n We\u2019re also thinking more systematically about how our city can take advantage of these natural assets in an intentional way.<\/p>\r\n Many cities aren\u2019t using technology effectively to identify parcels that could serve multiple purposes\u2014flood management, recreation, and biodiversity protection.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Mayor Kelly:<\/strong> We discovered through GIS mapping that local churches have roughly 1,000 surplus acres that could be used for affordable housing. We would never have known this without the mapping technology. We were able to approach the faith community and say, \u201cIf you were to build affordable housing or senior low-income housing on some of this land, we could solve our affordable housing problem.\u201d<\/p>\r\n We\u2019ve got a couple of projects working on this approach. It\u2019s been a very useful tool because we\u2019re not competing with our conservation goals\u2014we\u2019re using land that\u2019s already identified as suitable for development while preserving our natural assets.<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":757182,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":"https:\/\/chattgis.maps.arcgis.com\/apps\/MapTour\/index.html?appid=4133bb4402a2421baaa19a4743f444a4"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":" Mayor Kelly:<\/strong> It starts with intentionality and recognizing your competitive advantage. For us, it\u2019s these natural assets, so that\u2019s the first organizing principle\u2014both in terms of preserving physical assets and building the culture around them. Everything else proceeds from that understanding.<\/p>\r\n We try to be data-informed but values-driven. Unless the data is just loud and clear, you can spend a lot of time dog paddling in circles. You still have to be driven by your mission and values. We need more density where we need more density, but we also need to be very intentional about setting aside green space so Chattanooga can be the best version of itself.<\/p>\r\n You also need the technology to identify what you actually own and manage. Most cities probably have assets they don\u2019t even know about. The combination of GIS mapping and clear values about what you want to preserve creates opportunities you never knew existed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Mayor Kelly:<\/strong> People tell me Chattanooga reminds them of Austin 30 years ago, and I always respond that the trick is to keep it Austin 30 years ago.<\/p>\r\n We need to develop benchmarks to measure our progress and ensure we maintain that balance. We\u2019re looking at creating more connectivity between neighborhoods through paths and our riverwalk system. We want to build on our momentum while being very deliberate.<\/p>\r\n The goal is to show other cities that reverence for nature isn\u2019t just good environmental policy\u2014it\u2019s good economic policy. When you can quantify your natural capital and communicate its value, you create a sustainable competitive advantage that benefits everyone. That\u2019s the story we want to tell, and that\u2019s the model we hope other cities can adapt to their own unique natural assets.<\/p>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"sidebar","layout":"standard","image_reference":null,"image_reference_figure":"","spotlight_image":null,"section_title":"","spotlight_name":"","position":"Center","content":" What makes Chattanooga's approach revolutionary isn't just the technology\u2014it's the recognition that ecosystem services provide measurable economic returns while reducing municipal costs. The 500 acres placed in permanent conservation aren't just pretty spaces; they're natural infrastructure providing flood control, air purification, carbon sequestration, and habitat preservation. The city's floodplain properties, discovered through GIS mapping, now serve as natural flood management systems that cost far less than engineered solutions while providing recreational opportunities and biodiversity benefits.<\/p>\r\n Mayor Kelly's data-informed, values-driven approach has created a replicable model that other cities are eager to adopt. By using GIS technology to inventory assets, identify opportunities, and track progress, Chattanooga has proven that putting nature first isn't just environmentally responsible\u2014it's economically smart. The city's success in attracting high-income residents and securing federal grants demonstrates that when municipalities treat their natural capital as the competitive advantage it truly is, everyone wins: residents enjoy a higher quality of life, businesses find the talent they need, and the environment thrives for future generations.<\/p>\r\n As cities across America grapple with weather extremes, affordable housing, and economic competitiveness, Chattanooga's story offers a compelling blueprint: know what you have, protect what matters, and let nature be your guide to prosperity.<\/p>","snippet":""}],"references":null},"yoast_head":"\nQ: You've mentioned that Chattanooga sits in one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. Can you elaborate on what makes this region so ecologically significant?<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
Q: How has GIS technology changed your approach to city management, particularly in discovering and protecting natural assets?<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
Q: Chattanooga received one of the largest urban forestry grants from the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service. How did GIS help you secure that funding?<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
Q: You\u2019ve talked about economic development shifting from a business-to-business pitch to a business-to-consumer pitch. How does the National Park City concept fit into this strategy?<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
Q: Chattanooga has experienced flooding recently. How does your conservation strategy address climate resilience?<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
Q: You\u2019ve mentioned finding 1,000 surplus acres of church land through GIS. How has this discovery impacted your affordable housing strategy?<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
Q: Other cities are asking how to replicate what Chattanooga has done. What advice do you give them?<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
Q: Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for Chattanooga\u2019s continued evolution as a National Park City?<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
The Ecosystem Services Advantage<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n