HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOODS IN CHATTANOOGA's URBAN CORE

City of Chattanooga, TN

how can a nonprofit support sustaineD AND EQUITABLE neighborhood improvement?

SUMMARY

In 2019, Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise (CNE) asked czb to analyze market conditions across Chattanooga and evaluate CNE's approach to housing development, homeownership promotion, wealth building, and neighborhood revitalization within the existing context. The resulting analysis leveraged a variety of data to build a picture of the city's market, its constraints, and its opportunities. The report's strategic recommendations pointed CNE toward the strengths- and demand-based principles of the Healthy Neighborhoods approach.

HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOODS IN CHATTANOOGA'S URBAN CORE

Focusing on outcomes that matter

Good outcomes for working and

low-income households

Good municipal policy framework on housing and neighborhoods worthy of a great city

Development that builds on market strength and is inclusive

WHAT TO DO WHERE

Conditions vary greatly across the city, so interventions must be appropriately differentiated

Field Survey of Property Conditions

Surveying individual property conditions in a neighborhood is a method that provides exterior visual cues for investment, disinvestment, and pride. The resulting data allows for a nuanced understanding of neighborhood market conditions and creates a foundation from which to design strategic interventions.

"The board was riveted by czb's data and thought-provoking questions. They are truth tellers generating the conversations that change communities."

- Martina Guilfoil | President & CEO, Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise

"czb’s unique methodology of evaluating and educating us about the plight of our neighborhoods gave us a clear call to action. Their detailed understanding about how to effectively prioritize and craft a response to what they found gave us a powerful plan for action. czb is our go-to strategic advisor for a housing and neighborhood policy framework that we rely on to guide effective investments in our community."

- Jeff Pfitzer | Program Officer, Benwood Foundation

Conditions, Challenges and Opportunities

Four Opportunity Areas were recommended as starting points for intervention by CNE that follow the strategic principles and outcomes described in Healthy Neighborhoods.

CONDITIONS, CHALLENGES, AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THE CNE FOCUS AREA

Neighborhood Planning Documents

The main report offers analysis, commentary, and recommendations to the broader community and establishes a new direction for CNE's portfolio of activities. The addendum document specifically describes how the new approach can be applied within CNE's neighborhoods of focus in East Chattanooga.