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Atlanta Coming to Grips with Growth The
Evolving Health Connection
Jim Durrett, Executive Director Livable
Communities Coalition www.LivableCommunitiesCoali
tion.org

• Accounting for Health in Planning Policy
• Design for Health, University of Minnesota
• April 30, 2007

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Atlanta Region Land Cover 72-93
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• Emory University, Georgia Tech, CDC, others
• Started 2003, meets monthly
• Outcomes HIA activity Dannenberg (CDC) and
  Ross (Center for Quality Growth and Regional
  Development) collaboration

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• Report (with ARC) The Role of Local Boards of
  Health in Community Design and Development
• Working with ARC to identify opportunities to
  integrate health into regional planning
• Developing strategy with ARC to incorporate
  health-related measures into LCI program
  (physical activity, obesity risk, emissions,
  pedestrian/vehicle safety)

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Metro Atlanta Quality Growth Task Force
Public-Private Task Force convened 2003 to

• Identify a set of key growth strategies to
  successfully accommodate the next 2.3M people to
  be added by 2030
• Recommend the policies and actions necessary to
  achieve these key strategies
• Marshal business, public and political support
  for implementation

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Benchmarking the Atlanta Region
Annual hours of delay per capita
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Benchmarking the Atlanta Region
Median lot size (acres) within Region
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Benchmarking the Atlanta Region
Population density of urbanized area (people/acre)
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National Demographic Changes
Persons Turning 65
2006 2012
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Regions Demographic Changes
6.0M
Change
6M
241
136
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3.7M
37
65
55-65
35-54
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2
20-34
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Under 20
0
2000
2030
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Household Demographic Changes
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Regional Household Demand
Number of people preferring higher density, mixed
use housing, some of which could be in
centers/corridors
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We can accommodate population growth and reduce
the time spent in traffic delay
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We can accommodate population growth and reduce
the time spent in traffic delay

• The regions centers and corridors make up less
  than 10 of the regions land area
• Portions are ripe for higher density, mixed-use
  development and redevelopment

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This land use approach can also save 107,000
acres of land
Benefits

• Preservation of land
• More efficient use of infrastructure investments
• Preserves more options for both growth and
  greenspace beyond 2030

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Livable Communities Coalition

• A Diverse Network of Leaders
• A strong, diverse Board of Trustees
• 39 member organizations
• Advisory Committee
• Project Implementation Subcommittee
• Policy Subcommittee
• Communication/Education Subcommittee

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• Cumberland CID
• Fanning Institute
• Georgia Affordable Housing Coalition
• Georgia Apartment Association
• Georgia Concrete Products Association
• Georgia Conservancy
• Georgia Municipal Association
• Georgia Planning Association
• Georgia State Trade Association of Nonprofit
  Developers
• Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association
• MARTA
• Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
• Park Pride
• PEDS
• Perimeter CIDs
• Regional Atlanta Civic League
• Regional Business Coalition
• Sierra Club
• Southface

• AARP Georgia
• AIA Atlanta
• Alliance for Quality Growth
• ASLA Georgia
• Association County Commissioners of Georgia
• Atlanta Apartment Association
• Atlanta Board of Realtors
• Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors
• Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership
• Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education
• Atlanta Regional Health Forum
• Center for Quality Growth and Regional
  Development
• Chattahoochee Hill Country Alliance
• Citizens for Progressive Transit
• Clean Air Campaign
• Congress for the New Urbanism
• Council for Quality Growth

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Livable Communities Coalition

• A Mission Based on Four Principles
• Support greater densities and mixed-use
  development in appropriate areas
• Integrate transportation and land use
• Increase housing choice
• Guide greenfield development

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Livable Communities Coalition

• Working for quality growth in 3 Ways
• Engage communities to implement quality growth
  projects
• Support public policy for quality growth
• Educate the public on quality growth
  (LivableCommunitiesCoalition.org)

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Meeting the Market New Opportunities for
Building Healthy Communities
featuring
- New Data for a New Era -
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Project completed or in final stages
Project underway or in planning
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10 million over 10 years for studies 500
million for transportation funding 79 Studies
67 funded by ARC 12 grandfathered 6,307,250 in
study funding 1,047,900 in supplemental
funding 107,666,806 in transportation
funding 115,021,956 in total funding
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• Mix of land uses
• Multiple transportation modes
• Public Involvement

Town Centers Activity Centers Corridors
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Completed LCI Studies by County
Atlanta 13 Cherokee 4 Clayton 5 Cobb
11 DeKalb 15 Douglas 1 Fayette - 2 Fulton
10 Gwinnett 11 Henry 2 Rockdale
1 Outside 4 Total 79
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Press Release April 24, 2007 Clarkston Passes New
City-wide Zoning Sounds the Call for Quality
Development
Clarkston, GA - The city measures just 1.1 square
miles.  Yet theres a big vision in place that
will soon transform this former railroad town
into a model of walkable urban living. Last
night, Clarkston City Council unanimously passed
a sweeping new zoning ordinance that sets the
stage to remake its downtown into an inviting
town center, while retaining the citys intimate
small town character.  We realized the old
zoning wasnt working, admits Mayor Lee Swaney. 
With active community participation, we now have
a zoning plan that will connect the pieces and
enhance what we have.  People want to walk to
offices, shops and parks.  For the first time in
our history, the new zoning strongly encourages
it, Swaney says.
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Suwanee
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Woodstock
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PROJECT STATUS REPORT
Sandy Springs Pedestrian Improvements
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A Comprehensive Standard for Green Residential
Development
Mike Alexander Jackie Benson Cyrus Bhedwar Brian
Borden Walter Brown Ted Brown Christopher
Burke Jim Chapman Harold Cunliffe Laurel
David Jim Durrett Bruce Ferguson John Fish Haley
Fleming Laurie Fowler Arthur Gibert Mike
Guinan Bryan Hager Tal Harber Harry Housen Andy
Hull Shannon Kettering Susan Kidd Wayne
King Jonathan Lewis Bill Lincicome Charles
McMillan Dee Merriam Paul Morgan Liza
Mueller Steve Nygren Katherine Pringle Jeff
Rader Robert Reed Dan Reuter Pam Sessions Erling
Speer Ron Sprinkle Susan Varlamoff Randy
Vinson Alycen Whidden Ortrude White
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Performance Categories

• Site Selection
• Water Management
• Planning and Design
• Preservation Landscape
• Community Engagement
• Green Building

www.Southface.org
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Certification Process

• Submit an initial application that includes the
  information detailed and requested specifically
  in the text of each guideline
• Undertake a pre-development site review with the
  EarthCraft staff
• Receive designation as a Certified EarthCraft
  Community
• Submit additional documentation as the site
  design is developed and construction is commenced
• Annual renewal of Certification through site
  inspections, periodic reviews and an annual
  charrette with EarthCraft staff and community
  development team

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Certified Communities

• Clarks Grove, Covington, GA
• Glenwood Park, Atlanta, GA
• Long Leaf at Callaway, Pine Mountain, GA
• Serenbe, Fulton County, GA
• Vickery, Forsyth County, GA
• Lakewood, Athens, GA
• Barbour Pointe, Savannah, GA
• Sustainable Fellwood, Savannah, GA
• Kanawha, Fort Mill, SC

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Local Government Adoption

• Coweta County, GA, Zoning Ordinance
• EarthCraft House 10 density bonus
• EarthCraft House, 4-side brick 15
• EarthCraft Community 20 bonus

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Balanced Development
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Village

• Concentrates development and preserves the
  surrounding landscape
• Benefits of this type of clustered, high-density
  development lower development cost, lower
  service costs, less land consumption, more
  walkable
• In order for Villages zoning to work, Transfer of
  Development Rights must be used

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Hamlet

• Small version of a village
• Allows mixed-use and dense development with
  residential, office, retail and commercial uses
• 40 maximum developable area
• 60 minimum open space requirement

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Conservation Subdivisions

• Preserves a significant portion of the land as
  open space while maintaining the same density of
  houses by clustering homes.
• Sets aside conservation areas before selecting
  roads and house sites

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Summary of Progress
Land Use Plan Amended and Overlay District
Adopted (Oct 2002) Village Hamlet Conservation
Subdivision State TDR Legislation Amended (April
2003) County TDR Resolution Adopted (March
2003) Area Wide Standards Amended (May 2005)
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Lessons Learned

• Get Everyone Involved in the Planning Process
  Early, Including Developers

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Lessons Learned

• Expect the Planning Process to Take Twice as Long
  as You Think it Should.

Concept
Adoption
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Lessons Learned

• Dont Assume Existing Ordinances are Consistent
  with the Revised Land Use Plan
• CHC Changes-
• Overlay District Regulations Adopted
• TDR Legislation Changed
• Area Wide Standards Created
• Overlay District Regulations Amended

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• Walkable, high-density (18,000 in 4.2 sq. mi.),
  mature town, urban core of Atlanta region,
  Active Living Community
• Community transportation planning underway
• Health Impact Assessment integrated into process
• Community Workshop TODAY to identify/prioritize
  health impacts, ID affected groups,
  identify/prioritize recommendations
• Mobility concepts pedestrian recommendations
  bicycle recommendations street typologies
• Intersection concepts intersection redesigns
• Safety concepts traffic calming railroad quiet
  zone

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25-YEAR BELTLINE OVERVIEW
Key attributes of the BeltLine

• Covers 6,500 acres or 8 of Citys
  land area
• Nearly 1,300 acres of new
  greenspace
• 33 miles of trails
• 22-miles of transit
• 30,000 new jobs in 20 economic development
  areas
• 5,600 affordable workforce housing units
• Touches and connects 45 neighborhoods
• Investments in transportation / pedestrian
  access and streetscapes, public art, historic
  preservation and environmental clean-up

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REGIONAL GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING
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Recent History Defining Needed Resources

• March 2004 Greenspace Stakeholders Meeting
• May 2004 Greenspace Symposium
• Dec 2004 Greenspace Stakeholders Meeting
• Feb 2005 Data and Technical Committee
• Sept 2005 Begin Primary Tasks
• Nov 2006 Release of key resources

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Resource Green Infrastructure Toolkit

• Provide a better understanding of the necessity
  of greenspace and its associated benefits
• Outline a common language with which to discuss
  greenspace acquisition and preservation
• Suggest the steps necessary to create a local
  greenspace strategy

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Best Practice?

• Monthly Planners Breakfast
• MPO, local government planners, ULI, CIDs, MARTA,
  Coalition, others
• No agenda, open discussion of policies and
  activities, idea generation
• ARCs Envision6
• Land use / transportation linkage

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Atlanta Coming to Grips with Growth The
Evolving Health Connection
Jim Durrett, Executive Director Livable
Communities Coalition www.LivableCommunitiesCoali
tion.org

• Accounting for Health in Planning Policy
• Design for Health, University of Minnesota
• April 30, 2007