For the 2013 first-year MCRP student trip - integrated into the history and theory of city planning course - Georiga Tech students visited Chattanooga, Tennessee from October 3-4th to learn about contemporary planning issues taking place outside of Atlanta.

The trip began with an early morning walking tour of Fort Negley and Jefferson Heights neighborhoods led by Jim Williamson and Jim Bowen of the River City Company. This look at innovative affordable housing projects was followed by a tour of southside Chattanooga that included visits to Greenspace, a LEED certified hostel oriented towards climbers/cyclists, and an extension of the Riverwalk along the Tennessee River.

Students had the opportunity to learn from and interface with professionals at the Trust for Public Land, Chattanooga's Community Design Group, the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency, the Benwood Foundation, and several other planning organizations in the region. Not all academic, the trip also included dinner at Food Works and ample time for student exploration of Chattanooga's cultural scene. This year’s trip was coordinated by Dr. Brian Stone, Dr. Michael Elliott, and Dr. Bruce Stiftel.