Parks and Recreation

Specific Judging Considerations

• To recognize public sector parks for achievements in implementing best management practices and creating innovative solutions to today’s recreational issues
• Extent to which project addresses issues of recreational trends and environmental balance

2007 Winner of Parks and Recreation

Winner – City of Chattanooga Renaissance Park (Hamilton County)
Renaissance Park is a conservation and environmentally focused 23-acre brown field project that was created as a part of Chattanooga’s 21st Century Waterfront Plan. The site of enameling and stove manufacturing plants on the North Shore of the Tennessee River for over 70 years, Renaissance Park successfully demonstrates how a once-polluted area can be restored to an ecologically-sound river habitat and a natural park setting within an urban and tourism driven landscape. The city restored an urban stream ecology, enhanced river eco-systems, promoted the return of native plants and animals, raised awareness of the area’s historical significance, and maintained the balance between urban renewal and the conservation of natural resources.