A pandemic, record unemployment, and demonstrations demanding greater equity.
As complicated as the times are for most adults, some teenagers are coping and adjusting in ways that channel their passions into their own communities. ARC’s Model Atlanta Regional Commission (MARC) is one way that young people can dip their toes into the planning that shapes the world around them.
This summer, MARC paired up with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) for a special session of CMAP’s Future Leaders in Planning (FLIP) Summer Series. Over several months, the two programs worked closely on what was MARC’s first collaboration outside the Atlanta region. Everything from the session objectives to the panelists were chosen carefully to focus on inequities in the urban planning context.
Those panelists included:
To contextualize the discussion, the session began with some history on the practice of redlining. Students from Atlanta and Chicago broke into small groups to discuss the history of redlining in their own hometowns.
“The collab session was extremely eye-opening,” said Nicolas Miranda of Harvester Christian Academy in Douglasville. “These revelations [about 20th century planning and its impact on urban homeowners] make me want to learn more about these disparities and how to fix them in future planning.”
Watch the full session here. Below are some highlights from the conversation:
A history of legal segregation, redlining, and the resulting wealth gaps created very visible divides between neighborhoods.
“The only way to make progress is relationship-building,” said Tonika Johnson, founder of Chicago-based Folded Map Project. Her project aims to build those relationships by bringing together people from “sister” neighborhoods across Chicago.
By picking twin addresses on either side of the map “fold,” – i.e., 6900 N Ashland vs. 6900 S Ashland – Johnson uses photos, art, and dialogue to breach the divide and spark sometimes awkward but necessary conversations between neighbors.
Panelist Chandra Christmas-Rouse of Enterprise Community Partners agreed with the Fold the Map approach. “We are celebrating ourselves for no longer redlining, or no longer discriminating,” she said. “But it’s very clear the relationship building was never done. It’s not enough to just stop doing the harm, but what does it mean to tend to the wound that was never created and exasperated by policies built with the same logic?.”
One theme emerged from the discussion on how planning can help fix issues in communities: listening to those communities.
Panelist Sam Shenbaga, ARC’s Manager of Community Development, pointed out that too often, planning can turn into a check-the-box process that allows community to react to plans, but doesn’t give them a foundational role in actually building the plan.
The opposite approach goes beyond mere outreach, said panelist Cindy Cambray of CMAP. Meeting people where they are and involving those typically disenfranchised are keys to getting to the heart of real issues in the community.
“I go back to, ‘What are the values of the community?’ and starting the conversation there, so we have a shared understanding of what we’re building toward,” said Christmas-Rouse.
Planning and development often invoke the specter of gentrification for people most vulnerable to displacement. But Folded Map’s Johnson argued that it’s the wrong thing to focus on.
“The issue is that investment should not follow a specific population, and in Chicago, that specific population has consistently been young, white families and professionals,” she said. By holding elected officials accountable, communities can demand that historically disinvested neighborhoods receive attention before they are gentrified, and that responsible development pays attention to community needs.
Christmas-Rouse of Enterprise Community Partners agreed that gentrification is a symptom: “We have to focus on the systems in place and their proximity to power and whiteness and how it formulates the symptom of gentrification.” Panelists pointed to community benefit agreements and shared ownership models as some tools to ensure that legacy residents are able to stay in their neighborhoods even when investments and new residents begin to trickle in.
The session wrapped up with panelists offering advice for the aspiring leaders in the audience. Broadly, this advice came down to learning and education: taking opportunities to connect with individuals that have shared passions but different lived experiences. Students looking toward regional leadership should also learn about their community’s history, as well as the broader history of structural inequities that show up in urban planning.
Young leaders should ask themselves how they can work in their communities to decide what urban planning should be, said Christmas-Rouse, without being bound by the limitations of what it already is.
In metro Atlanta, high school students will have another opportunity to experience the world of regional planning with the next MARC class beginning in October. Find out more about what past MARC classes have learned at atlantaregional.org/marc.
WorkSource Metro Atlanta has launched atlworks.org, a website designed to provide a streamlined and seamless way for job-seekers and employers to navigate the resources available through the region’s WorkSource agencies.
Job-seekers can learn about WorkSource resources including job-readiness workshops, career training opportunities, and job application assistance. Visitors can also find contact information for their local Career Resource Center. By filling out a simple form, users are able to begin an in-depth evaluation process led by a personal career counselor that is assigned to them.
Employers visiting the site can learn about services designed to help businesses hire, train, and upgrade their workforces, such as identifying and screening potential new hires, training existing workers for new demands, and providing 50% or more in salary reimbursement for on-the-job training.
“The tagline for atlworks.org is ‘we’re improving the workforce,’ and that’s a terrific way to explain what the region’s WorkSource agencies are striving toward every day,” said Rob LeBeau, Director of the Atlanta Regional Workforce Development Board and Manager of the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Workforce Solutions Group.
“This website makes it easy to understand all the programs and services that are available, for free, to people looking to improve their careers and to businesses aiming to improve their workforces. Atlworks.org makes all of that information available with a few simple clicks.”
WorkSource is a free, federally funded program that helps put people to work. WorkSource Metro Atlanta includes five workforce development boards in the Atlanta region: WorkSource Fulton, WorkSource DeKalb, WorkSource Cobb, WorkSource Atlanta, and WorkSource Atlanta Regional.
WorkSource Atlanta Regional is managed by the Atlanta Regional Commission and provides services to Cherokee, Clayton, Douglas, Fayette, Gwinnett, Henry, and Rockdale counties.
Learn more at visit altworks.org.
The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is the official planning agency for the 10-county Atlanta Region, including Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale counties as well as the City of Atlanta and 73 other cities. The Atlanta Regional Commission serves as a catalyst for regional progress by focusing leadership, attention and planning resources on key regional issues. The Atlanta Regional Commission’s Workforce Solutions Division manages WorkSource Atlanta Regional, which provides services to help meet the needs of today’s employers and job seekers in Cherokee, Clayton, Douglas, Fayette, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale counties.
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WorkSource Atlanta Regional announced today that it will reopen its Career Resource Centers in Cherokee, Clayton, Douglas, Fayette, Gwinnett, Henry, and Rockdale counties for in-person services the week of July 6, 2021.
The centers have been assisting job seekers and employers virtually since March 2020. Starting in July, the centers will reopen for in-person services by appointment. The hours and capacity vary by site. Clients can go to atlworks.org (scroll down to the bottom) to find the phone numbers for each center and call to make an in-person appointment.
Trained staff will also continue to offer services via phone and online. In addition, ARC’s Mobile Career Lab will reopen for services across the metro area on July 12. To view the schedule, visit atlworks.org.
“We are excited to be reopening our centers for in-person services,” said Rob LeBeau, managing director of the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Workforce Solutions Group. “We know that many people across the metro area are searching for work, and we want to offer them our career services in the way that best suits them.”
Employers across the region are looking to fill vacant positions. With federal pandemic benefits for unemployed Georgians expiring on June 26, the Career Resource Centers expect that demand for their services will rise.
Good jobs and career opportunities are abundant in logistics and transportation; health care; information technology; manufacturing; and skilled trades, LeBeau said. As people return to entertainment activities and travel, the hospitality industry is also experiencing a significant demand for new workers, he added.
At WorkSource Atlanta Regional’s Career Resource Centers, skilled professional staff provide an array of services that include training, one-on-one career counseling, and job readiness workshops, as well as assistance with résumé writing and filling out job applications. WorkSource Atlanta Regional, a federally-funded program, also provides wrap-around services, including funding for transportation and child care. The centers offer internet access, printers and personal meeting spaces to conduct phone interviews.
“Many companies have had vacancies for month,” LeBeau said. “By reopening our doors, we expect to be better able to serve both the job seekers and employers.”
The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is the official planning agency for the 10-county Atlanta Region, including Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, and Rockdale counties as well as the City of Atlanta and 73 other cities. The Atlanta Regional Commission serves as a catalyst for regional progress by focusing leadership, attention, and planning resources on key regional issues.
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Some had recently been laid off. Others were looking to get out of dead-end jobs. All were in search of a better life.
In 2016, WorkSource Atlanta Regional served more than 38,000 people in Cherokee, Clayton, Douglas, Fayette, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale counties. These individuals received a range of services designed to jump-start their careers, from resume preparation and career counseling to industry-specific training and computer literacy courses.
These programs provided a bridge to a better future. Indeed, 99 percent of customers who completed training found employment, with an average starting wage of $18 per hour.
Each year, the Atlanta Regional Workforce Development Board (ARWDB) recognizes people from around the region who have found success, often fighting enormous odds.
The honorees included Keimante Lyons, who spent much of his teenage years in foster care. After aging out of foster care, he found housing and job training services at Hearts to Nourish Hope, a nonprofit located in Clayton County that is one of WorkSource Atlanta Regional’s youth providers.
At Hearts to Nourish Hope, he obtained his high school diploma and completed a paid work experience with the Riverdale Fire Department. Keimante continues to volunteer at the fire department while completing an automotive training program. He has his own apartment and is now enrolled in Hearts to Nourish Hope’s Independent Living Program.
Another honoree, Precious Love, a Gwinnett County mom who lost her job as a medical lab technician and was out of work for more than a year. After completing a job skills training course at WorkSource Atlanta Regional’s Career Resource Center in Gwinnett County, she found meaningful employment at a local health care company, earning $18 an hour more than she did in her previous job.
The ARWDB also acknowledged community leaders and businesses that helped individuals explore career options and develop job skills. One such champion was Jeff Mitchell of South State Bank who was recognized as an Outstanding Business Partner for his work with Cherokee Youth Works/Cherokee Focus, a WorkSource Atlanta Regional youth provider.
Jeff taught young people about money management and careers in banking using curriculum donated by South State Bank.
Below are the 2016 Worksource Atlanta Regional customers and community partners recognized at the ARWDB Recognition Ceremony:
Learn more about these outstanding ARWDB award winners:
WorkSource Atlanta Regional has launched a series of webinars aimed at helping the region’s job-seekers find jobs and prepare themselves for future employment. The webinars are aimed at both enhancing basic skills like resume-writing and interviewing, as well as navigating the unusual climate of employment during the COVID-19 outbreak.
The free webinars are led by WorkSource Atlanta Regional’s expert Career Coaches from around the metro area. Topics include:
The online workshop format is in response to the state’s current shelter in place requirements. Although WorkSource Atlanta Regional’s Career Resource Centers are currently closed, a wide range of services remain available, and career coaches are accessible via phone and email.
“Career Coaches are here to help job-seekers with all manner of services,” said Bill Lins, a career coach out of the Clayton County Career Resource Center. “Thousands of people have attended our workshops over the years, and with this digital format, we can reach thousands more that are in urgent need of assistance. We are here to assist all job seekers in taking the guesswork out of finding employment.”
The Atlanta Regional Commission’s Workforce Solutions Division manages WorkSource Atlanta Regional, which provides services to help meet the needs of today’s employers and job seekers in Cherokee, Clayton, Douglas, Fayette, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale counties.
“With so many jobs already affected by the COVID-19 crisis, WorkSource Atlanta Regional’s services are more relevant than ever,” said Rob LeBeau, Director of WorkSource Atlanta Regional. “We can help metro Atlanta find work, access resources, and upgrade their skills so that they are ready to re-enter to workforce as soon as possible.”
To register for a webinar and to learn more about WorkSource Atlanta Regional’s resources, go to atlworks.org. Job-seekers can also sign up for career guidance services at atlworks.org/get-started. Atlworks.org serves WorkSource Metro Atlanta, which includes WorkSource Atlanta Regional’s seven counties, plus City of Atlanta, Fulton County, DeKalb County, and Cobb County.
The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is the official planning agency for the 10-county Atlanta Region, including Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale counties as well as the City of Atlanta and 73 other cities. The Atlanta Regional Commission serves as a catalyst for regional progress by focusing leadership, attention and planning resources on key regional issues.
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How can community art help inspire and change the Atlanta region?
That’s the question that metro Atlanta leaders brought home with them from the Atlanta Regional Commission’s (ARC) 2014 LINK trip to Philadelphia. During the city-to-city peer exchange trip, the Atlanta group heard community art advocate Jane Golden talk about the transformative effect of the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program.
The LINK delegation came home eager to start a public art program in the Atlanta region. In 2015, ARC, working with a group of metro Atlanta leaders, raised funds to create the Atlanta Regional Public Art Program. Last fall, the program awarded grants to help four metro Atlanta communities install public art.
A $15,000 grant from the program helped MARTA install a mural at the King Memorial rail station, just east of downtown Atlanta. “Rise Above,” a towering, affirmative mural by Atlanta artist Fahamu Pecou that draws inspiration from the messages of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was completed in June.
“The mural at the King Memorial station is simply stunning, and shows how public art can be transformative for communities across the Atlanta region,” said Greg Burbidge, a senior program specialist at ARC who coordinates the public art program.
“We can’t wait to see the finished work at the three other projects that received funding,” Burbidge added. “Public art can do much more than beautify a community. If done right, it can foster public conversations about key issues and help communities better define who they are.”
The other communities that received funding from the Atlanta Regional Public Art Program expect to complete their projects by the end of 2016. These projects are:
Public art is a community effort – scenes from the creation of the King Memorial Station mural with artist Fahamu Pecou, community members, WonderRoot staff and volunteers.
“Rise Above” is the first of four murals that will be created by Pecou at Atlanta MARTA stations as part of En Route, a public art project coordinated by WonderRoot, an Atlanta-based community arts center. En Route is a partnership between MARTA, WonderRoot, Fulton County Arts & Culture and the TransFormation Alliance. Future public art projects are planned at the Oakland City, Hamilton E. Holmes and Vine City MARTA stations.
The project is funded by a $50,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, in partnership with Fulton County Arts and Culture, and additional funding from Wells Fargo, the Ford Foundation, Georgia Council for the Arts and the Atlanta Regional Public Art Program.
The goal of En Route is to create engaging, meaningful, high-quality public art that celebrates Atlanta’s neighborhoods, improves the experience of transit riders and enlivens the environment of MARTA’s transit stations. For that reason, engaging the community surrounding each MARTA station is a vital part of the development process for the En Route projects.
To develop the King Memorial project, WonderRoot held multiple community meetings. Pecou met with the neighborhood NPU, En Route stakeholders, an advisory committee, residents and business owners in the neighborhood to work out a concept that would resonate with the King Memorial neighborhood.
In addition, WonderRoot staff and volunteers went to the King Memorial MARTA station to survey transit riders, and Pecou held a community photo shoot to capture images of neighborhood residents as models for his art.
Through conversations and feedback, agreement was reached on an image that reflected both Pecou’s focus on concerns around contemporary representations of black masculinity as well as the neighborhood’s desire to highlight their historic connection to Martin Luther King, Jr.
The finished work is an arresting image of a young black man leaping into the air with the words Rise Above emblazoned across the MARTA station wall. The phrase is taken from a quote by King: “An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”
In speaking about his work in ArtsATL, Pecou said: “Art has always been transformative. It is not merely a reflection of our times and experiences; it also has the capacity to redirect us. As artists, it is imperative that we use our creativity to say the things that words do not easily convey….After all, in the future, historians will tell what happened, but artists will tell how it felt.”
Lake Lanier, metro Atlanta’s largest water source, has re-filled following soaking winter rains. The lake reached its “full pool”— which in winter is 1,070 feet — on Feb. 15.
“This is great news for the Atlanta region, especially with warm weather right around the corner,” said Katherine Zitsch, manager of ARC’s Natural Resources Group and Director of the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District. “Having a full lake is important to carry us through the typically drier summer months.”
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The state Environmental Protection Division on March 8 lifted the Level I Drought Response that had been in place across much of metro Atlanta.
“As expected, winter rains have refilled Lake Lanier, which serves as an important water supply for much of metro Atlanta,” said EPD Director Richard Dunn. “Drought-related restrictions were eased in other areas last fall, but the Level 1 Response was left in place to help the lake recover.”
Lake Lanier’s rebound follows a prolonged dry period that caused the reservoir to fall by about 10 feet during 2016. The lake recovered a bit during 2017 but remained 4 feet below full pool at year’s end as the drought lingered. The state EPD declared a drought response for much of the Atlanta region in September 2016, which included restrictions on outdoor watering.
Conservation and efficiency are still critical to protecting Metro Atlanta’s water supply. Georgia EPD and the Metro Water District encourage continued water conservation efforts.
“Metro Atlanta residents should be commended for doing their part to conserve water, such as limiting outdoor watering,” said Zitsch. “But we must continue to use water wisely. Droughts are common in this part of the country, and we don’t know when the next dry period will begin.”
Georgians are still required to follow watering restrictions as outlined in the Water Stewardship Act of 2010. This law allows all types of outdoor water use, but landscape watering only before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m. daily to limit evaporation during the warmest part of the day.
Visit My Drop Counts to learn more about how to conserve water and become more water efficient.
Most of metro Atlanta remains in a Level 2 drought response, despite recent downpours that have prompted many of us to keep our umbrellas and rain jackets within easy reach.
So, what gives?
Put simply: Lake Lanier remains well below “full pool.” In fact, it’s more than 6 feet low, the third-lowest on record for this time of year. This matters because Lake Lanier is the primary source of water for much of metro Atlanta.
The Atlanta Regional Commission, which provides staffing to the the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District, is urging metro Atlanta residents to use water wisely. As a reminder, outdoor watering restrictions remain in place for much of metro Atlanta. Only water lawns and plants when necessary.
Water conservation matters more than ever. Visit mydropcounts.org and take our 40 gallon challenge.
These five questions and answers should help explain the region’s drought situation:
The rain deficit over the past year has just been too great, especially north of Lake Lanier. Spring rains have helped increase lake levels, but the reservoir remains at near-record low levels for this time of year. The abnormally dry conditions also mean that much of the rain we do get is soaked up by the soil instead of filling the lake.
At full pool, Lake Lanier’s water level stands at 1,071 feet. But as our drought has persisted, we’ve been stuck between 6 and 10 feet low since November. This is much lower than normal. In June 2016, for example, the lake stood at nearly 1,069 feet.
That’s possible. But Lake Lanier is usually “recharged” by soaking winter rains. Typically, in the summer we get fast-moving afternoon thunderstorms that aren’t as helpful at filling the lake.
And lake levels typically fall each summer, due to evaporation, reservoir management and other factors. Lake Lanier usually drops by more than 6 feet over the summer; last summer, which was especially dry, it fell nearly 10 feet.
Of course, a hurricane or other large rain event could help fill the lake. In September 2009, for instance, Lanier rose by more than 3.5 feet in just 10 days. But that’s unpredictable.
We must all take steps to conserve water.
Most importantly, pay attention to outdoor watering restrictions and only water plants when needed during those times.
Inside the home, take shorter showers and check for leaks. Replace inefficient toilets, shower heads and other fixtures. Only run your dishwasher and washing machine when full.
Learn more about how you can conserve and take a pledge to use less water at mydroupcounts.org.
The state has placed much of the Atlanta region in a Level 2 drought response, which restricts outdoor watering. This includes residents and businesses in Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Hall and Paulding counties.
Residents and businesses in these areas should only water when necessary, up to twice a week – and only before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m. Even addresses and sites with no numbered address may water on Wednesday/Saturday, and odd addresses may water on Thursday/Sunday.
Outdoor watering activities that are NEVER allowed:
Outdoor watering that IS allowed: *
* Not subject to the 4 p.m. to 10 a.m. or twice-a-week restrictions.
Please do your part to use water efficiently, and stay tuned for future updates.
Resources:
The Atlanta Regional Commission is rolling out a new way for people to get involved in our regional planning efforts.
They’re called ARC Civic Dinners. These are structured conversations, shared over a meal, where every voice matters. Guests talk about key regional issues— mobility, livability, and prosperity.
Anyone can host, and ARC collects the input as we update the Atlanta Region’s Plan, our long-range blueprint to ensure metro Atlanta’s future success.
What’s it like to participate in an ARC Civic Dinner? We talked to two members of ARC’s Global Advisory Panel, who shared their experiences.
Why Civic Dinners?
I was really intrigued by the whole Civic Dinner platform. Going to friends’ houses and having dinner, drinks, or just hanging out — it’s something we regularly do, right? Why not make a difference while you’re at it?
This offered the opportunity to have what could have been difficult conversations while doing something we regularly do anyway. It’s a format that relaxes people.
How was it having strangers to dinner?
I can see how it could be challenging at first, but if done through a friends-of-friends approach, you can slowly start opening people up to the idea that here is an atmosphere in which people can speak freely.
How will you carry this experience forward in your own life?
I’m a planner, and when working on a project, we often hear about people’s concerns at public meetings and forums. But sometimes, the voices on one side are just going to come out in fuller force and be noisier.
The Civic Dinners allowed people to feel comfortable expressing themselves openly—quieter voices I maybe haven’t heard from in those “public meeting” settings. And it made me consider this format, and how to carry it forward into my own work, as a way to hear from a true diversity of voices. I’d definitely be interested in hosting one again.
What interested you in Civic Dinners?
I love the idea of church as a way to engage your wider community in a hopeful manner, but how to do you bring more people into that conversation and have it be more than an academic exercise? Civic Dinners are doing that.
How was your experience?
The Civic Dinners were so well-organized. I like that the conversation kits came with specific questions for us to consider, so it wasn’t just this “Let’s solve the problems of the world” thing. It brought voices in that otherwise might’ve thought their opinions didn’t matter. And I Iike that the ARC is collecting this data to inform their work.
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People care so much about the community, but they don’t know how to get involved, and think that what they say doesn’t matter. Here, you find allies, so that’s energizing.
What was the scene like at your Civic Dinner table?
It was so powerful. I had a really eclectic group of people—just different races, ages, and experiences. You know, the amazing thing about Atlanta is that you can drive five miles in any direction and be somewhere else. And, [in my group,] everyone, to a person, said, “It is just so great to get out of our silos and meet people I might not otherwise have met.”
How will you carry this experience forward in your own life?
My friend and I are talking about getting another group going in Clarkston—with that international community there. Sometimes, being in another space, you get to appreciate and observe, and learn. I think if anyone’s even tempted to do a Civic Dinner, you should find a friend and plan it together. It’s so easy, you will not regret it.
Want to get involved in a conversation that matters? Learn all about ARC Civic Dinners and sign up to take part here!
This summer has certainly been sizzling. Temperatures have soared into the mid-90s, with too little rain to break the heat.
Indeed, most of North Georgia has been dry this spring and summer. But metro Atlanta’s water providers are prepared to manage through this cycle, thanks to strong regional planning and conservation efforts – which are more important than ever as the region’s population continues to grow.
Here’s a Q&A about what the hot, dry summer means for the Atlanta region.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, much of metro Atlanta is experiencing severe drought conditions. After a wet winter, rainfall amounts have dropped off. From March to June of this year, Atlanta received 9.87 inches of rain – nearly six inches less than the 30-year average for the same four-month period, according to the National Weather Service.
It’s important to note that dry periods are part of the normal weather cycle. We don’t know how long the current dry conditions may persist, so it’s critical that all of us use water wisely.
The 2010 Georgia Water Stewardship Act requires outdoor watering to be limited to the hours between 4 p.m. and 10 a.m. to avoid the hottest part of the day when more evaporation occurs. These requirements are in place year-round.
Some outdoor watering is allowed at any time of day. The Water Stewardship Act includes a number of exceptions to the outdoor watering requirements, including the use of drip irrigation or soaker hoses and the irrigation of personal food gardens.
Since its creation in 2001, the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District (Metro Water District) has implemented one of the most comprehensive regional water management plans in the country. Since then, water use has dropped by more than 10 percent, despite a population increase of one million.
Across 15 counties and 93 cities, our water providers have: offered rebate programs on new toilets that save nearly a billion gallons of water per year; implemented a multi-tiered conservation rate structure that encourages conservation; and adopted ordinances requiring all new drive-through car washes to recycle water, reducing water use per facility by 35 percent.
As a result of these efforts, 2050 water demand forecasts show that the region will use 25 percent less water in the future than was estimated as recently as 2009.
Metro Atlantans can save water by:
Learn more, and take a pledge to conserve water, at mydropcounts.org.
Although we are permitted to water every day, it is not necessarily the best practice. Use the “step test” and visual inspection to determine if your plants and grass need to be watered.
ARC’s Strategic Partners are committed to fostering collaborative regional approaches that improve quality of life in metro Atlanta. Their support elevates ARC leadership programs, research and events throughout the year. Learn more.
