In order to support the successful completion of a large-scale dam project in the middle of the East Tennessee wilderness, TVA needed a functioning community that housed and provided for the workers and their families. While this was the primary reason to create the town of Norris, TVA Chairman Arthur Morgan also wanted to design and build an ideal cooperative community. Therefore, the Authority planned Norris to achieve both goals. Houses were simple yet comfortable, with porches and modern electric conveniences. Also included in the town's plans were shopping areas, health facilities, and other recreational sites which promoted a sense of community, as well as a pedestrian-focused layout, limiting the use of automobiles. TVA adopted this model of town planning in other remote locations such as Fontana Village, but none were as complete and deliberate as Norris.