Two Thriving Communities - Bridgeport, Alabama, and South Pittsburg, Tennessee- have been selected in the inaugural Tennessee RiverTowns cohort!
In total, fifteen communities have been accepted to the inaugural cohort of the Tennessee RiverTowns Program as part of the Tennessee RiverLine, North America’s next great regional trail system. This initiative is led by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in collaboration with the Tennessee RiverLine Partnership.
The program is a three-stage initiative that cultivates collaboration among river communities around the Tennessee RiverLine, envisioned as a continuous system of paddling, hiking and biking experiences along the Tennessee River’s 652-mile reach.
15 communities along the 652 mile Tennessee River were accepted into the TN RiverTowns program.
Participating communities will benefit from economic development and entrepreneurship opportunities, quality of life amenities, and increased access to river experiences that improve public health and stewardship of natural resources. In the third stage of the program, communities will earn the official designation of a Tennessee RiverTown as part of the Tennessee RiverLine.
For the inaugural cohort, the partnership received 22 applications representing more than 936,000 community members. Criteria for selection included a demonstrated understanding of the Tennessee RiverLine vision and its guiding principles, as well local partnerships necessary to sustain an applicant’s participation in the Program. Any Tennessee River community can apply for future cohorts.