Chattanooga Design Studio is an independent non-profit community resource that promotes excellence in urban design through education, facilitation, and collaboration. 

 

Recent Work

A unifying vision for montague park

A collaboration with the City of Chattanooga, a steering committee of park-adjacent stakeholders, and the Reed-Hilderbrand Design team to envision a unified Montague Park.

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WESTSIDE EVOLVES

A collaborative process with Chattanooga Housing Authority, the City & the Westside community to create a vision for the long term future of the neighborhood.

THE PORCH: EVALUATION

A post-occupancy public space evaluation of The Porch pilot project. The report summarizes the quantative and qualitative methods and results with extensive community feedback and on site observations.

Recently Shared

We know that education and awareness about urban design matters! One of the ways that we get to share that message is through @wutc_88.1 . We’re grateful to WUTC and Ray Bassett host of @scenicroots423 for shining a light on the work we do with
We know that education and awareness about urban design matters! One of the ways that we get to share that message is through @wutc_88.1 . We’re grateful to WUTC and Ray Bassett host of @scenicroots423 for shining a light on the work we do with the community. Thanks to Ray for the opportunity to join him in the studio for the Spring Pledge Drive!
Connection to education is central to the Studio’s legacy and remains a substantial feature of our work. Internship applications are live on our site. Come work with us!
Connection to education is central to the Studio’s legacy and remains a substantial feature of our work. Internship applications are live on our site. Come work with us!
The Chattanooga affiliate of the ACE Mentor Program recently held their annual awards banquet featuring student presentations on a mixed-use project. The program introduces high school students to the wide range of career opportunities in architectur
The Chattanooga affiliate of the ACE Mentor Program recently held their annual awards banquet featuring student presentations on a mixed-use project. The program introduces high school students to the wide range of career opportunities in architecture, construction, engineering, and related areas of the building design and construction industry. Chattanooga Design Studio urban designer Sydney Smith was on hand to judge the competition, commenting that the projects were “wonderful and there are lots of bright candidates for the building industry!” She was joined by Studio board member Jim Williamson, who also dedicates his time to the board of @acechattanooga We love seeing the Chattanooga Design Studio out in the community! Congratulations to the local students who presented at the banquet. We are cheering you on!
Come work with us! Applications are available now for the Summer 2024 Internship program. Education is central to the Studio’s legacy. We remain committed to the exchange of ideas made possible by welcoming new voices, perspectives, and backgr
Come work with us! Applications are available now for the Summer 2024 Internship program. Education is central to the Studio’s legacy. We remain committed to the exchange of ideas made possible by welcoming new voices, perspectives, and backgrounds into this work. The internship program inspires and expands the everyday work of the Studio. Get more information at the link in our bio and download the application, available on our website. The deadline for submitting is Sunday, March 17, 2024
“Ideas to continue creating a great Chattanooga” -Gil Penalosa, February 2024 Last week @penalosa_gil left our team with a deck of What If cards to guide this collective work. “What if everything we did in our cities was great for
“Ideas to continue creating a great Chattanooga” -Gil Penalosa, February 2024 Last week @penalosa_gil left our team with a deck of What If cards to guide this collective work. “What if everything we did in our cities was great for 8 year olds and 80 year olds?” We loved seeing everyone @chattlibrary for CIVIQ - a place built for learning and meant for everyone right here in our city center. The head nods, note jotting, and shared moments in the crowd were inspiring. Keep up the good work! A recording of CIVIQ with Gil Penalosa presented by @playcorenews will be available soon.
We love co-working with @penalosa_gil in the office! Tonight is the big night for CIVIQ with Gil Penalosa “8 80 Cities, for Everyone” presented by @playcorenews at @chattlibrary starting at 5:30. We expect a huge crowd, so seats after
We love co-working with @penalosa_gil in the office! Tonight is the big night for CIVIQ with Gil Penalosa “8 80 Cities, for Everyone” presented by @playcorenews at @chattlibrary starting at 5:30. We expect a huge crowd, so seats after a certain point are not guaranteed. However, standing room will be offered. Thanks to so many community members for giving Gil a big Chattanooga welcome this week. It’s been fun connecting and dreaming and aspiring for big things together! ::: #880cities #urbanhealth #cities4everyone #happier #healthier
“8 80 Cities, for Everyone” CIVIQ with Gil Penalosa presented by PlayCore is this week, Thursday, February 22 at @chattlibrary starting at 5:30! We are grateful for Presenting Sponsor, @playcorenews , who sees the value in “health
“8 80 Cities, for Everyone” CIVIQ with Gil Penalosa presented by PlayCore is this week, Thursday, February 22 at @chattlibrary starting at 5:30! We are grateful for Presenting Sponsor, @playcorenews , who sees the value in “healthy, vibrant, equitable communities...rooted in shared spaces that drive active behavior, healthy relationships, and authentic curiosity.” Through their dedication to innovative research, PlayCore knows that “outdoor community spaces are essential and beneficial for people of all ages.” Learn more at playcore.com @penalosa_gil believes that if cities are great for an 8-year-old AND an 80-year-old, then they are great for all people. Learn more about Gil at chattanoogastudio.com/CIVIQ!
In the “last 130 years we have doubled life expectancy in every country in the world!” Many people have 1/3 of their lives to enjoy after the age of 60. With 6 times more free hours in their day, what are they doing in cities around the w
In the “last 130 years we have doubled life expectancy in every country in the world!” Many people have 1/3 of their lives to enjoy after the age of 60. With 6 times more free hours in their day, what are they doing in cities around the world? Are they active? Are they having fun? Are they happy and healthy? If we design sustainable and equitable cities that work well for people ages 8 AND 80, then these cities are good for everyone! Gil has more to say on @scenicroots423 @wutc_88.1 — check out the link in our bio and stories! Come see Gil at CIVIQ on Thursday, February 22 at @chattlibrary from 5:30-7:00. Only a few tickets remain! Always Free, All Welcome “8 80 Cities, for Everyone” presented by @playcorenews with support from @chaparksdept and @chattlibrary CIVIQ: a speaker series honoring Robert Taylor, seeded and funded by the Lyndhurst Foundation ::: #aginginplace #urbandesign #citiesforeveryone
Do you know about Bogota’s Ciclovia? This program, sometimes referred to as Open Streets, temporarily closes off certain streets to automobiles and creates safe space for walking, biking, exercising, and socializing. As Commissioner of Parks
Do you know about Bogota’s Ciclovia? This program, sometimes referred to as Open Streets, temporarily closes off certain streets to automobiles and creates safe space for walking, biking, exercising, and socializing. As Commissioner of Parks and Recreation in Bogota, @penalosa_gil radically transformed Ciclovia and soon it went from a program of a few kilometers to 121 kilometers. Over a million people walk, run, skate and bike along Bogotá’s city roads every Sunday of the year. Gil believes that cities need to be playful, and he is coming to CIVIQ on Thursday, February 22 to tell us all about it! CIVIQ tickets are all but gone-grab yours now! Link in bio. ::: #ciclovia #openstreets #citiesforplay #connection
Hurry, hop on CARTA —- it’s FREE today! @gocartacha fixed route and Care-a-van services are free all day today, so tell your friends. If you make it to @millerparkcha while they are set up you can even snag a free cup of coffee from @be_c
Hurry, hop on CARTA —- it’s FREE today! @gocartacha fixed route and Care-a-van services are free all day today, so tell your friends. If you make it to @millerparkcha while they are set up you can even snag a free cup of coffee from @be_caffeinated ! Thanks to CARTA for working hard to keep the community connected 🚍 ::: #mobility #transportation #publictransit #urbanplanning #urbandesign #transitdesign #connectivity
We love working with the team at @whiteboard.is to define and express CIVIQ. Each CIVIQ speaker is unique in their background and approach to Chattanooga, so the design elements for the event are too! We look forward to celebrating CIVIQ with our n
We love working with the team at @whiteboard.is to define and express CIVIQ. Each CIVIQ speaker is unique in their background and approach to Chattanooga, so the design elements for the event are too! We look forward to celebrating CIVIQ with our next speaker @penalosa_gil of @880cities on Thursday, February 22. Gil believes that cities are at their best when they are good for 8 year olds AND 80 year olds. His positive energy and focus on playful cities created for connection and well being are sure to be an inspiration to the CIVIQ audience. This session will focus on elements of equitable and sustainable multimodal transportation, intergenerational play, livability and aging in place, and the infrastructure and use of parks and public spaces. Many thanks to Presenting Sponsor @playcorenews for supporting CIVIQ with Gil Penalosa. Thank you to our Community Partner, @chattlibrary for sharing space that is urban, accessible, and built for learning. Our thanks to @chaparksdept for their partnership in bringing this talk to Chattanooga. CIVIQ: a speaker series honoring Robert Taylor, seeded and funded by the Lyndhurst Foundation and hosted by Chattanooga Design Studio.
It was great to connect with @penalosa_gil today after launching registration yesterday for CIVIQ-February 22! If you don’t know, Gil hosts a bi-weekly webinar, Cities for Everyone, and it is awesome. How exciting that Gil has Chattanooga liste
It was great to connect with @penalosa_gil today after launching registration yesterday for CIVIQ-February 22! If you don’t know, Gil hosts a bi-weekly webinar, Cities for Everyone, and it is awesome. How exciting that Gil has Chattanooga listed as an upcoming spot alongside Spain, Chile, Qatar, Denver, Miami, and Los Angeles! Todays guest, Carol Coletta, President and CEO of Memphis River Parks Partnership, presented “Can we still make public places for everyone?” As always, the presentation and dialogue were informative and inspiring. You can go to www.gpenalosa.ca to watch past sessions and follow Carol’s work at @memriverparks For the record, we can, and should, make public places for everyone! We hope you can join us for CIVIQ with Gil on February 22 as we discuss how to “create healthier, more equitable, and sustainable cities for all people.” @880cities
We are so excited to announce @penalosa_gil as our first CIVIQ speaker of 2024! Gil Penalosa’s @880cities is “guided by the simple but powerful idea that if everything we do in our cities is great for an 8 year old and an 80 year old, the
We are so excited to announce @penalosa_gil as our first CIVIQ speaker of 2024! Gil Penalosa’s @880cities is “guided by the simple but powerful idea that if everything we do in our cities is great for an 8 year old and an 80 year old, then it will be better for all people.” Brilliant! GIL PENALOSA “8 80 Cities, for Everyone” Thursday, February 22 @chattlibrary 5:30-7:00 pm All welcome, always free! Gil Penalosa is passionate about cities for all people. He advises decision makers and communities worldwide on how to create vibrant cities and healthy communities for all, regardless of age, gender, ability and social, economic, or ethnic background. His focus is on the design and use of parks and streets as great public places, as well as the promotion of sustainable mobility: walking, riding bicycles, using public transit, and new use of cars. Gil has worked in over 350 different cities across all continents. Read more about Gil and reserve your ticket for CIVIQ at the link in bio. Many thanks to Presenting Sponsor @playcorenews for helping us to make this CIVIQ possible! #880cities #transportation #mobility #parks #activeaging #cityinapark #citiesforplay #urbandesign
Did you know that CIVIQ broke records in 2023? With over 5 million views on his TED Talks and YouTube videos, it is no wonder that Jeff Speck attracted the largest crowd yet. Thanks to the Lyndhurst Foundation’s generosity, we were able to gif
Did you know that CIVIQ broke records in 2023? With over 5 million views on his TED Talks and YouTube videos, it is no wonder that Jeff Speck attracted the largest crowd yet. Thanks to the Lyndhurst Foundation’s generosity, we were able to gift each attendee with a copy of Jeff’s bestselling urban planning book, the Tenth Anniversary Edition of Walkable City. Seen here is Urban Designer Ritika Narang gifting a copy to one of the many CIVIQ attendees. We thank @playcorenews for sponsoring this talk and the Lyndhurst Foundation for seeding and sustaining CIVIQ : A Speaker Series Honoring Robert Taylor. Stay tuned for a big CIVIQ announcement next week and save the date for Thursday, February 22! We can’t wait to introduce you to…
After working with her Neighborhood Association on a Public Realm Plan that identified a need for more welcoming community gateways, Ms. Linda Carter was thrilled to show off the new signage at Orchard Knob Elementary School. We caught up with Ms. L
After working with her Neighborhood Association on a Public Realm Plan that identified a need for more welcoming community gateways, Ms. Linda Carter was thrilled to show off the new signage at Orchard Knob Elementary School. We caught up with Ms. Linda before her Neighborhood Association meeting at @parkridge_health The space was decorated beautifully with pops of red and green while wrapped gifts and cupcakes of every flavor awaited guests. Ms. Linda was excited to bring everyone together in celebration of her much-loved community, @orchardknobcha She looks forward to continuing to serve as Neighborhood Association President in the new year.
This year we're volunteering alongside @societyofwork @rivercitycompany @theenterprisectr to help bring holiday cheer to our Patten Towers neighbors downtown! In order to provide warm meals, clothes, and gifts to 120-150 residents this year, we need
This year we're volunteering alongside @societyofwork @rivercitycompany @theenterprisectr to help bring holiday cheer to our Patten Towers neighbors downtown! In order to provide warm meals, clothes, and gifts to 120-150 residents this year, we need your help! Many residents who attend say this is the only warm meal and gift they will receive. Would you be willing to donate to our efforts to make this cold season a little brighter? Details + donate here: https://www.theenterprisectr.org/donate
It’s a joy to bring our community together! Bruzenskey Bois Hip Hop is New Urbanism CIVIQ : equipping us to think differently about challenges faced in our community. Our thanks to the Lyndhurst Foundation for making it possible for Chattanooga Design Studio to guide these conversations in Chattanooga. We’re grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this story.
Good memories with all of YOU! Chandra Christmas-Rouse “Designing Disruption : What if we did fix it?” CIVIQ, a free quarterly series. Our thanks to the Lyndhurst Foundation for making these connections possible. We’re grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this story.
CIVIQ - bringing people together since 2017. Check out one of our first photos at @bessiesmithculturalcenter for CIVIQ with Jarrett Walker. Today we will be sharing some of our favorite moments through the years featuring Y O U! We’re grate
CIVIQ - bringing people together since 2017. Check out one of our first photos at @bessiesmithculturalcenter for CIVIQ with Jarrett Walker. Today we will be sharing some of our favorite moments through the years featuring Y O U! We’re grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this story.
We know that education and awareness about urban design matters! One of the ways that we get to share that message is through @wutc_88.1 . We’re grateful to WUTC and Ray Bassett host of @scenicroots423 for shining a light on the work we do with Connection to education is central to the Studio’s legacy and remains a substantial feature of our work. Internship applications are live on our site. Come work with us! The Chattanooga affiliate of the ACE Mentor Program recently held their annual awards banquet featuring student presentations on a mixed-use project. The program introduces high school students to the wide range of career opportunities in architectur Come work with us! Applications are available now for the Summer 2024 Internship program. Education is central to the Studio’s legacy. We remain committed to the exchange of ideas made possible by welcoming new voices, perspectives, and backgr “Ideas to continue creating a great Chattanooga” -Gil Penalosa, February 2024 Last week @penalosa_gil left our team with a deck of What If cards to guide this collective work. “What if everything we did in our cities was great for We love co-working with @penalosa_gil in the office! Tonight is the big night for CIVIQ with Gil Penalosa “8 80 Cities, for Everyone” presented by @playcorenews at @chattlibrary starting at 5:30. We expect a huge crowd, so seats after “8 80 Cities, for Everyone” CIVIQ with Gil Penalosa presented by PlayCore is this week, Thursday, February 22 at @chattlibrary starting at 5:30! We are grateful for Presenting Sponsor, @playcorenews , who sees the value in “health In the “last 130 years we have doubled life expectancy in every country in the world!” Many people have 1/3 of their lives to enjoy after the age of 60. With 6 times more free hours in their day, what are they doing in cities around the w Do you know about Bogota’s Ciclovia? This program, sometimes referred to as Open Streets, temporarily closes off certain streets to automobiles and creates safe space for walking, biking, exercising, and socializing. As Commissioner of Parks Hurry, hop on CARTA —- it’s FREE today! @gocartacha fixed route and Care-a-van services are free all day today, so tell your friends. If you make it to @millerparkcha while they are set up you can even snag a free cup of coffee from @be_c We love working with the team at @whiteboard.is to define and express CIVIQ. Each CIVIQ speaker is unique in their background and approach to Chattanooga, so the design elements for the event are too! We look forward to celebrating CIVIQ with our n It was great to connect with @penalosa_gil today after launching registration yesterday for CIVIQ-February 22! If you don’t know, Gil hosts a bi-weekly webinar, Cities for Everyone, and it is awesome. How exciting that Gil has Chattanooga liste We are so excited to announce @penalosa_gil as our first CIVIQ speaker of 2024! Gil Penalosa’s @880cities is “guided by the simple but powerful idea that if everything we do in our cities is great for an 8 year old and an 80 year old, the Did you know that CIVIQ broke records in 2023? With over 5 million views on his TED Talks and YouTube videos, it is no wonder that Jeff Speck attracted the largest crowd yet. Thanks to the Lyndhurst Foundation’s generosity, we were able to gif After working with her Neighborhood Association on a Public Realm Plan that identified a need for more welcoming community gateways, Ms. Linda Carter was thrilled to show off the new signage at Orchard Knob Elementary School. We caught up with Ms. L This year we're volunteering alongside @societyofwork @rivercitycompany @theenterprisectr to help bring holiday cheer to our Patten Towers neighbors downtown! In order to provide warm meals, clothes, and gifts to 120-150 residents this year, we need
It’s a joy to bring our community together! Bruzenskey Bois Hip Hop is New Urbanism CIVIQ : equipping us to think differently about challenges faced in our community. Our thanks to the Lyndhurst Foundation for making it possible for Chattanoo
Good memories with all of YOU! Chandra Christmas-Rouse “Designing Disruption : What if we did fix it?” CIVIQ, a free quarterly series. Our thanks to the Lyndhurst Foundation for making these connections possible. We’re grateful fo
CIVIQ - bringing people together since 2017. Check out one of our first photos at @bessiesmithculturalcenter for CIVIQ with Jarrett Walker. Today we will be sharing some of our favorite moments through the years featuring Y O U! We’re grate

OPERATIONAL SUPPORT

A big thank you to our current funding partners for ongoing operational support of the Chattanooga Design Studio.