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ARC Seeks Public Input for Update to the Atlanta Region’s Plan, a Long-Range Blueprint for Metro Atlanta’s Future

Atlanta — Jul 24, 2019

The Atlanta Regional Commission has launched an innovative public engagement campaign designed to generate feedback for a major update to the Atlanta Region’s Plan, the long-range blueprint that details the investments needed through 2050 to ensure metro Atlanta’s future success.

The outreach effort includes several ways for residents to get involved, including:

• Future Focus, an interactive online game where players explore nine major issues that a panel of experts convened by ARC says will affect metro Atlanta’s future and then make a series of choices about the what kind of a future they believe lies ahead.
• An ARC Civic Dinner where 5-10 people share their thoughts about the region’s future, over a meal.
• A performance by the Dad’s Garage teen improv group, where teens will envision what life will be like in metro Atlanta in 2050. Date and other details to come.
• Several ‘pop-up’ open houses, held throughout metro Atlanta in September and October, where residents can review elements of the Atlanta Region’s Plan update, including proposed transportation projects.

More information about the Atlanta Region’s Plan update and engagement opportunities can be found at atlantaregionsplan.org/update. The ARC Board is scheduled to approve the plan update in early 2020.

“Great communities and regions don’t happen by accident. Careful planning is needed to ensure that metro Atlanta remains a dynamic, thriving region,” said Doug Hooker, ARC Executive Director. “Public input is critical to this process. We need to hear from a diverse cross-section of our community to develop a plan that improves quality of life and builds the kind of future we all want.”

The Atlanta Region’s Plan incorporates all of ARC’s planning areas: transportation, community development, natural resources, workforce development, and aging & health services. The goal: improving quality of life in metro Atlanta by providing world-class infrastructure; fostering healthy, livable communities; and building a competitive economy.

This plan update extends the long-range planning horizon to 2050. The Future Focus game and related Civic Dinner provide engaging ways for residents to explore the trends that experts say will drive change over the next three decades, and help shape the region’s long-range planning process.

These drivers of change include: ride hailing/car sharing; transportation finance structure; port traffic; autonomous vehicles; intelligent infrastructure; water supply; spatial, racial, and economic equity; aging of the population; and climate change regulations.

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.

Contact Name: Paul Donsky
Contact Phone: 470.478.1510 or 404.202.4662 (m)
Contact Email: pdonsky@atlantaregional.org