The Public Realm is the connective tissue of any district that allows creativity, serendipity, and authentic connections between people to truly flourish.
More than just “The Gig”, innovation needs to be experienced, seen, and supported by a sense of place in Chattanooga. That’s why the Enterprise Center and Chattanooga Design Studio in collaboration with Gehl Studio and local stakeholders led the formation of a Public Realm Action Plan for the Innovation District in Chattanooga’s city center in spring of 2018. This Plan creates a new way for our community to identify challenges and opportunities for growing public life and to set target public life outcomes for future phases of physical improvements, informed by evidence and prototyped quickly on the ground. Specifically, the Plan identifies three pilot projects to build momentum in the district with people-first placemaking as the foundation.
Call to Action
public realm pilot: THE porch
The pilot project at The Porch at Patten Towers studies the public space surrounding the building at Georgia Ave. and Market St. and the adjacent sidewalks and streets. Patten Towers is downtown’s densest population and also its most sociable. As it is today, Patten Towers’ porch does not provide enough comfortable public space to spend time and mingle. Seating is limited, lighting is inadequate, and the empty ground floors deter many people from passing through or spending time here. This pilot asks how might we create a space to socialize, relax, express creativity, as well as meet its potential as a neighborhood gathering place?
Public realm pilot: bus stop hotspots
Bus stops are some of the city’s most active public spaces yet the current design is harsh and individualized. This pilot re-imagines the bus stop into an engaging, multi-functional space.