Chattanooga Becomes Latest "National Park City"

In 2025, Chattanooga, Tennessee became the first US National Park City. Seven North American cities have expressed interest in pursuing the designation for 2026, said Mark Cridge, executive director of the UK-based National Park City Foundation. 

National Park Cities qualify based on local investment in environmental protection, outdoor education, and accessible green space for residents. National Geographic Explorer and geographer Daniel Raven-Ellison created the National Park City concept in 2013 to “make cities greener, healthier, fairer and more harmonious places to live.” The designation is not affiliated with the US National Park Service. 

There are four official National Park Cities: London (2019); Adelaide, Australia (2021); Chattanooga (2025); and Breda, Netherlands (2025). In the next 18 months, Cridge expects Rotterdam, Netherlands; Southampton, England; Glasgow, Scotland; Cardiff, Wales; and Belfast, Northern Ireland to join their ranks. Emerging campaigns are ongoing in Izmir, Turkey; Tokyo; and Johannesburg, South Africa, along with a number of cities in the Netherlands.

Officials in Chattanooga worked for two years to achieve the status, coordinating with over 70 non-profits to create a National Park City charter and gathering thousands of signatures. Outdoor advocate Robin Motzer of Wildlands is working with several US cities in the early stages of pursuing the designation. Motzer works with parks, farms, and schools to rewild cities through health, wellness, and stewardship efforts.

Today, over 80% of the US population lives in urban areas. By 2050, nearly 70% of the world’s population is projected to live in cities. With federal environmental protections under threat around the globe, the international network of National Park Cities is working to make the places where many of us live wilder, greener, and more accessible. 

— Julie Atkinson