Atlanta — May 10, 2023
The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) announced today that it has awarded $1.6 million in Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) grants for ten planning studies across metro Atlanta to help communities reimagine their downtowns, create vibrant transit corridors, and promote live-work-play environments. Upon completion of the studies, the grant recipients will be eligible to apply for federal transportation funding projects, such as corridor improvements and bike-ped infrastructure, to bring their visions to life.
“This year’s LCI grant recipients demonstrate how innovative and bold thinking can transform communities and improve quality of life across the Atlanta region. We look forward to assisting this year’s recipients as they pursue their community visions and move metro Atlanta towards a more equitable and resilient future,” said Samyukth Shenbaga, Managing Director of Community Development at ARC.
The LCI program was created in 1999 by ARC to help the region’s communities envision and build healthy, mixed-use, mixed-income developments that help reduce vehicle miles traveled and improve air quality. The program is recognized as a national best practice for how metropolitan planning organizations can lead efforts to alleviate transportation concerns while improving overall quality of life.
Note: Specific grant allocations are subject to change based on adjustments made by the LCI sponsor.
The Northwest Clayton LCI Update aims to improve quality of life and economic opportunity in northwest Clayton County, near I-285 and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The study will review the area’s growth since the last LCI plan adoption in 2011 and outline a comprehensive vision for equitable future growth and development to include improving access to affordable housing, employment, recreational spaces, and transit-oriented development around planned MARTA BRT stations.
The Education Campus Expansion & Community Connectivity Study will leverage the Fairburn LCI Downtown Master Plan to transform the city’s Education Campus, which consists of Georgia Military College and Brenau University South Campus. The study seeks to turn the area into the primary gateway into the city’s downtown, improve connectivity between the campus and downtown Fairburn’s amenities, and incorporate smart technology and creative placemaking along the Highway 29 Overlay District.
The Honest Alley Activation Project aims to determine the feasibility and benefits of improving Honest Alley in Lawrenceville to be pedestrian friendly and include placemaking features. By making the area more welcoming to residents and visitors, the project will spur economic development for properties in the alleyway while also increasing community connectivity within Lawrenceville’s downtown.
The Connecting Parks, PATHs and Public Spaces Project will evaluate Stone Mountain Village’s downtown since the last LCI plan adoption in 2013. The project will encourage seamless community connection between the city and Stone Mountain Park through a bicycle and pedestrian loop that links public green spaces.
The Highway 92 Development Standards Study seeks to create a new set of development standards along Highway 92. The goal is to pave the way for future economic growth through intuitive, user-friendly standards, intentional architectural design, incorporation of affordable/diverse housing options, and improved walkability. This study will also include a Housing Rehabilitation Program Strategy to retain legacy residents and preserve affordable housing resources.
The Town Center Streetscape & Mobility Schematic Project intends to create a livable and sustainable town center in Tyrone along Senoia Road through creative placemaking, multimodal mobility, smart technology, and planning and environmental design best practices. The study will work towards community revitalization, modernization, and sustainability through streetscape design guidelines, street construction standards, creative placemaking, and integrated smart technology.
The Huff Road Multimodal Study will reimagine this industrial freight corridor as an accessible, safe, and multimodal network, in line with the community’s goal of creating a restorative urban environment. The study will also include the recommendations from the Upper Westside Creative Placemaking study for bus stops along Huff Road.
The Cumberland CID Creative Placemaking Plan seeks to create a strategic plan that identifies opportunities for placemaking initiatives while promoting pedestrian safety and local art. Through collaborative public-private partnerships, the plan will work to activate underutilized public and private open spaces to bring members of the community together through the arts.
The Peachtree Dunwoody Road Corridor Study seeks to identify spaces for placemaking improvements that will facilitate future multimodal mobility and align with the Perimeter Center LCI and Perimeter Small Area Plan’s vision for Sandy Springs. This vision includes connecting two transit stations and the Perimeter employment district. The study will also incorporate a Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Plan for 13 acres of undeveloped land at the North Springs MARTA Station.
The Highway 92 LCI Update seeks to reevaluate Highway 92 from I-20 to Lee Road to reflect the study area’s growth and development since the last LCI plan adoption in 2009 and the Lee Road Small Area Plan adopted in 2019. The update will target mobility, livability, placemaking, smart technology, and housing goals informed by community outreach.
About the Livable Centers Initiative:
Created to reduce vehicle miles traveled and improve air quality, ARC’s Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) is a grant program that incentivizes local jurisdictions to re-envision their communities as vibrant, pedestrian-friendly places that increase mobility options, encourage healthy lifestyles, and provide easy access to jobs and services.
For more than twenty years, the LCI program has invested over $300 million in 131 communities throughout the Atlanta region, helping pay for planning studies and the construction of transportation projects, such as sidewalks and intersection improvements. The LCI program is funded with federal transportation dollars. The grants cover 80% of the cost of each study or transportation project, with the recipient making a 20% match.
Recipients are selected by ARC with input from a diverse committee of partner organizations and planning professionals from around the region.
The LCI program goals include:
To learn more about the LCI program and the impact it has had on the Atlanta region, visit atlantaregional.com/lci.
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The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is the official planning agency for the 11-county Atlanta Region, including Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, and Rockdale counties as well as the City of Atlanta and 74 other cities. The Atlanta Regional Commission’s mission is to foster thriving communities for all within the Atlanta region through collaborative, data-informed planning and investments.
Contact Name: Olivia Haas
Contact Phone: (470) 378-1516
Contact Email: ohaas@atlantaregional.org
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.
