The Tennessee Aquarium, Civil War battlefields, Ruby Falls, Rock City and the River Bend Festival, as well as outdoor activities such as white water rafting and paddling, hiking, fishing, hang gliding, cycling and rock climbing, draw more than 8 million tourists to Chattanooga every year. Many of these tourists gravitate towards downtown, enjoying diverse social and cultural events and destinations. The North Shore has greatly benefited from an internationally recognized urban revitalization plan. For example, the Walnut Street Bridge, once slated for demolition, has become one of downtown’s greatest assets as a pedestrian bridge that links downtown to Frazier Avenue, Coolidge Park and the rest of the North Shore.

Although downtown has primarily been a business location in Chattanooga, it is now experiencing tremendous residential growth. Many current downtown and North Shore construction projects are mixed-use commercial and residential. Hundreds of new residential condominium and apartment units have been recently completed or are currently under construction.