Reconnecting West Chattanooga
Course: Urban Design Studio, Fall 2016 (Prof. Ellen Dunham-Jones)
Chattanooga’s Westside faces deep physical, social, and economic fragmentation. College Hill Court contains the city’s lowest property values and highest crime rates, while areas like Cameron Harbor thrive just across US-27. The freeway forms a hard barrier, separating residents from downtown, the riverfront, civic assets, and economic opportunities.
My proposal reimagines the Westside by removing the US-27 freeway segment, an infrastructure that currently carries over 60,000 cars per day and divides the city in two. Freeway removal unlocks a continuous urban fabric, reconnecting MLK Boulevard and Main Street to the riverfront, and creating new land for higher-density mixed-use development. Precedents show that removing urban freeways often reduces, rather than increases, traffic congestion, while generating social, environmental, and economic benefits.
This project envisions a regenerated Westside anchored by improved public infrastructure, restored street networks, diverse housing, and active commercial corridors. By replacing the freeway with a walkable, connected neighborhood, Chattanooga can revitalize its urban core, strengthen community identity, and support long-term economic growth.
My proposal reimagines the Westside by removing the US-27 freeway segment, an infrastructure that currently carries over 60,000 cars per day and divides the city in two. Freeway removal unlocks a continuous urban fabric, reconnecting MLK Boulevard and Main Street to the riverfront, and creating new land for higher-density mixed-use development. Precedents show that removing urban freeways often reduces, rather than increases, traffic congestion, while generating social, environmental, and economic benefits.
This project envisions a regenerated Westside anchored by improved public infrastructure, restored street networks, diverse housing, and active commercial corridors. By replacing the freeway with a walkable, connected neighborhood, Chattanooga can revitalize its urban core, strengthen community identity, and support long-term economic growth.
Site Analysis & Urban Barriers
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Analysis of physical, socio-economic, and infrastructural barriers shaping West Chattanooga, including steep slopes, fragmented street networks, limited river access, and concentrated poverty. US-27 divides downtown from the Westside and acts as a major barrier to community access, economic mobility, and walkability. |
Goals
- Multimodal
- Reconnected + Densified
- Diverse (households, uses, buildings, streets)
Strategies
- Removing US-27
- Restoring the street grid and reconnecting MLK + Main Street to the river
- Diversifying lot sizes and land uses
“What If?” Scenarios
The speculative scenarios explore possible futures for the Westside, from mixed-use development and park systems to elevated infrastructure options.
Street Network + Land-Use Framework
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This illustrates a reconnected mobility network, reactivated commercial corridors, and new mixed-use districts.
Sub-Area Design
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Sub-area plan illustrating new housing types, reconfigured blocks, street trees, and public open spaces made possible through freeway removal.
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