Cities as Systems: The Chattanooga Case Story
Charlotte and Santa Monica clearly are viewing their cities as systems, but they aren’t alone. Other municipalities across the country are taking innovative approaches as well, including Chattanooga, Tenn.
In 1969, the federal government — and Walter Cronkite, on national television — declared Chattanooga’s air the “dirtiest in the nation.” Flash forward 40 years and today the city is thriving, with a focus on a high-tech economy. The city’s municipally owned electric utility, EPB, made the decision that when it upgraded its electrical grid it would do so based on fiber optics. In September 2010, EPB began offering Internet access directly to the public and the network has been a major factor in attracting high-tech industry. Chattanooga also has placed emphasis on environmental sustainability and economic revitalization, investing more than $120 million to rebuild the city’s waterfront and reorient its economy around tourism. Says former Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefi eld: “How do you make a city grow? Make it the best place it can be for the people who already live there.”
