Atlanta City Councilman Alex Wan, chairman of the city’s Financial Committee, met with the Council for Quality Growth’s Atlanta Advisory Committee this Wednesday to discuss current issues affecting the city, primarily in District 6, which encompasses much of intown NE Atlanta, including neighborhoods such as Lindberg, Virginia Highlands, Ansley Park, and Midtown north of 14th St. A surprise guest, who the Council will host at the Atlanta Advisory Meeting in October, was Councilman Andre Dickens (District 3 At Large). Two of the main points Councilman Wan addressed were current development and its relationship to surrounding communities, and the symbiotic relationship with the changing demographics and areas within Atlanta.
Development has seen a resurgence after the economic downturn and now the City is faced with the question of available resources to handle this resurgence. The industry is seeing a trend towards a more collaborative design and development practice, involving the city and its neighborhoods early on in the design-build processes to provide the necessary input. This is resulting in more innovative projects that encompass a mixed use lifestyle. Due to these new neighborhood trends, the City has released an RFP to look at the current Atlanta zoning code, which many new developers are struggling with, as it is outdated and does not many times reflect Atlanta today. The city’s infrastructure needs to keep up with the trends and zoning is seen as a part of that infrastructure.
Overall, growth and development for Atlanta look positive, though there is still much that needs to be done to help foster the surge of new projects.
Members are encouraged to attend the Advisory Committee Meetings in order to provide input and be a part of the conversation on current issues around the metro region.
For an overview of the Council for Quality Growth’s Advisory Committee Meetings, click HERE.
For the current Advisory Committee Meetings Schedule, click HERE.