Chattanooga’s story is one of transformation. Once shaped by industry, the city has become a testing ground for new approaches to infrastructure, public space, and civic collaboration. Join us on Future Fridays to hear from people shaping Chattanooga’s next chapter, and to reflect on how personal stories of identity and belonging influence the future of smaller cities with big ambitions.

Chattanooga has undergone a remarkable transformation, evolving from an industrial center into a laboratory for innovation in infrastructure, public space, and civic collaboration. Through intentional planning and investment, the city offers insight into how smaller cities can adapt, grow, and reimagine their futures. 

This Future Fridays session brings together local leaders, planners, and community voices shaping Chattanooga’s next chapter. Through personal narratives and conversation, participants will explore the future of small cities with big ambitions.

About Future Fridays 

Future Fridays is the National Building Museum’s signature online series as part of the Future Cities initiative, hosted by James Darius Ball, director of Future Cities. Each one-hour session highlights the people, stories, and decisions that shape cities and everyday life in communities across the country. 

In its second year, the series emphasizes personal narratives and community perspectives, showing how residents, planners, designers, and civic leaders influence neighborhoods, public spaces, and city life. Participants can share their own perspectives, ask questions, and gain insight into how local choices reflect broader trends shaping American cities. 

Future Cities programming extends beyond Future Fridays, with a four-year slate of exhibitions, events, lectures, publications, digital activations, and community-based engagements designed to reach audiences from all walks of life and encourage participation in shaping the places where they live, work, and play.