Parks & Greenspace Conference – March 25, 2019

Chattahoochee RiverLands

Greenway Study

• We’ve worked for more than 40 years to conserve land for people.

• Since 1972, we’ve completed more than 5,000 park and conservation projects across 47 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, conserving more than 3 million acres of land, from the inner city to the wilderness.

• We are the national leader in creating public funds for land conservation, working with states, counties, and cities to generate nearly $60 billion for local conservation efforts since 1996.

• We’ve created, sustained, or supported 340 local land trusts nationwide.

A National Non-Profit Organization

• Preserved 18,000 acres of land and 80 miles of riverfront along the Chattahoochee

• Assembled the land needed to create the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site

• Created Atlanta’s Emerald Necklace, the Park and Greenspace Plan that Ryan Gravel incorporated into his vision for the Atlanta BeltLine.

• Have designed and are working to fund and build the 16-acre Cook Park, which will greatly reduce flooding and provide a much-needed amenity to the Vine City and English Avenue communities in Atlanta’s west side.

Trust for Public Land in Georgia

• DRIVE ENGAGEMENT – We want a diverse group of people to encounter the river so that each can understand the opportunities and challenges.

• CREATE INCLUSIVE AND INVITING PUBLIC REALM –We want all members of the public to experience the river positively and to view it as a delightfully fun place to live, work, and play.

• ELEVATE RECOGNITION – We want to position the Chattahoochee River as a beloved national asset.

Aspirations

Atlanta City Studio Plan

We dream of a SEAMLESS, fully functional PUBLIC REALM along the Chattahoochee that ENTICES a DIVERSE population to want to LIVE, WORK, and PLAY along its length.

The Dream

• Convened to engage with each other and consultants– Greenway Branding– Chattahoochee River Greenway Study

(ARC/TPL/Atlanta/Cobb)– Platform for Shared Advocacy

• Invitees:– Non-Profit Organizations - River-related mission/focus– Counties bordering Chattahoochee River– Cities bordering (or near) Chattahoochee River– Federal (National Parks Service, EPA, others)

• Ongoing– Kick-Off Meeting: April 24, 2018– Emerging Group – Growing Interest

Chattahoochee Working Group

• Non-Profit Organizations:Chatt Parks Conservancy Riverwalk Atlanta Chattahoochee Riverkeeper Chattahoochee NOW Groundwork Atlanta Atlanta Audubon SocietyAimee Copeland Foundation Boulevard C.I.D. Friends of McIntosh ReserveAtlanta Cycling Chatt Nature Center Georgia River Network

Cumberland C.I.D. Let’s Go Fishing Keep South Fulton BeautifulSandy Springs Conservancy Roswell Inc Proctor Creek Stewardship Council

• Local Governments:City of Atlanta City of Sandy Springs City of Johns CreekCity of South Fulton City of Chattahoochee Hills City of Sugar HillCarroll County Cobb County Fulton County Gwinnett County

• Regional Organizations:Atlanta Regional Commission Metro-Atlanta Chamber of Commerce

• Federal Institutions:National Parks Service U. S. Forest ServiceEnvironmental Protection Agency

• Land Owners:Georgia Power Private Property Owners

Chattahoochee Stakeholders

Chattahoochee Branding

Chattahoochee Branding

• Planning Process – Chattahoochee RiverLands Study– Will develop the plan for a public realm along Chattahoochee River –

Chattahoochee RiverLands– Robust Public Engagement Strategy– Scape/Gresham Smith Team– Discovery, Vision Plan, Big Picture Plan, Priority Areas Plan– Pilot Project (Cobb County/Discovery Road Trail) – Test permitting

• Robust Public Engagement– Chattahoochee Working Group – Advisory Body– ARC/TPL/City of Atlanta/Cobb County – Project Management Team– Sub-Area Committees– Stakeholder Meetings– River Rambles– Experiential Learning

• SCAPE/Gresham Smith– Strong ecological ethos– Environmental justice– Rethink how region interacts with the Chattahoochee River

Chattahoochee RiverLands Greenway Study

• Facebook: Chattahoochee RiverLands– Follow, Like, Share

• www.ChattahoocheeRiverLands.com– Community Portal

• Public Engagement Opportunities– Stakeholder Meetings– River Rambles– Walk & Talk

• Contact– Walt.Ray@TPL.org– 404.432.9320

Chattahoochee RiverLands Greenway Study

3/22/2019

The Trust for Public Landwww.tpl.org

The Best Resource for Urban Parks:www.tpl.org/center-city-park-excellence

Contact Information:

Additional Information

Walt Ray, RLA, AICPDirector Chattahoochee ProgramWalt.Ray@tpl.org(404) 873-7306 x258