Established in 2014, The Innovation District of Chattanooga is a quarter-mile radius from downtown’s Miller Park.
In the district, established businesses and startups cluster with educational and cultural institutions to create a vibrant and innovative atmosphere. The district also contains several public spaces and a host of coffee shops and restaurants, linked by attractive streets, a bike share program, and free downtown electric shuttles.
Chattanooga’s Innovation District is a place where people from all walks of life can come together to create and collaborate. Whether it’s within the realm of technology, art, recreation, commerce, or civic engagement, the Innovation District is a place that welcomes all and encourages new ways of thinking. The Edney Innovation Center is the front door to Chattanooga’s Innovation District, providing free public meeting spaces and abundant programming. The Innovation District Framework Plan, published in 2018, outlines the values of the district and its vision for the future.
The Innovation District of Chattanooga is the first innovation district in a mid-sized city, and it has been featured in works by Brookings Institution, National League of Cities, The Kaufman Foundation, and The New York Times. Drawing residents from neighborhoods that span the city, The Innovation District of Chattanooga strives to be inclusive and invites everyone to share ownership of the place and its programming. The Enterprise Center hosts quarterly Innovation Ecosystem Tour Days to give regional leaders and business owners a deeper understanding of the resources available locally. Additionally, we regularly host visitors from around the country to tour Chattanooga’s innovation ecosystem.
The Innovation District is only possible because of a dedicated network of partner organizations and events who animate the area, including: Big 9 Roots Festival, River City Company, Chattanooga Public Library, The Bessie Smith Cultural Center, Society of Work, Co.Lab, The Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, UTC, Patten Towers, and the Chattanooga Design Studio.
The Innovation District Framework Plan
Building on Chattanooga’s unique integration of its advanced digital assets with a dynamic culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, the Framework Plan for the Innovation District of Chattanooga articulates our community’s shared values and vision for embracing the energy and excitement in our innovation economy. Published in 2018, the Framework Plan revolves around shared values that animate our work, inform our proposed use of land and inspire how we think about the people and culture that are integral to the Innovation District. Download a PDF of the plan.
Innovation districts need anchors—universities, existing industries, cultural attractions—and Chattanooga’s district, like many others, has a number of traditional anchors. What makes that district stand out, though, is one of its nontraditional anchors—EPB.
Contact Us About The Innovation District
Kevin Love, Director of Innovation District Programs, kevin@theenterprisectr.org
