Long Range Planning
End of Year Newsletter
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Wrapping Up 2023
As we reflect on the accomplishments and efforts of the past year in Planning and Sustainability, I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to each resident and our planning team who has played a vital role in shaping the vision for our community. Your passionate engagement, feedback, and commitment to our shared goals have been instrumental in driving positive change. As we look ahead to our goals for the new year, I am excited about the possibilities that lie before us, and I encourage each of you to remain actively involved in the planning process, as together, we continue to build a livable, equitable, sustainable, beautiful, and prosperous DeKalb County.
Interim Director, Cedric Hudson
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Mission Statement
To advance a long range vision of a livable, equitable, sustainable, beautiful, and prosperous DeKalb County through the implementation of adopted plans, policies, and partnerships.
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Public art is being planned along Candler Road between I-285 and Memorial Drive. Several catalytic possibilities are underway or are expected to begin soon along the corridor, making it the perfect location for a public art focus.
We are currently accepting community feedback on this project.
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Kensington MARTA Station Rezoning Approved
In April of this year, the Board of Commissioners approved the rezoning of Kensington Station to fit with the Kensington Station TOD master plan! Ground broke on November 28th, signaling the beginning of sitework of approved plans for the station revitalization.
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Stone Mountain PATH Trail Small Area Plan | In May of this year, the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) awarded the DeKalb County Stone Mountain Trail Master Plan with their Community Development Assistance Program (CDAP) grant! We look forward to moving forward with this project in 2024. |
Presidential Pkwy/ Embry Hills Arts and Culture Plan | The Presidential Pkwy/ Embry Hills study will include an analysis of existing conditions that impact the ability to create a livable, pedestrian-friendly environment associated with the boundary of the study. We are looking forward to begin work on this project in 2024. | | | |
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Indian Creek TOD Master Plan
The Master Plan for Indian Creek Station will create a community-driven vision to catalyze the transformation of MARTA’s Indian Creek Station into a walkable, vibrant, mixed-use, transit-centric community.
On May 11, 2023, MARTA hosted its first community workshop at the Indian Creek MARTA Station. With the feedback obtained through this meeting, MARTA then hosted their Station Area Design Charrette on July 19, 2023.
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Commission District Profiles | |
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The Planning and Sustainability Department has published updated Commission District profiles for DeKalb County. These profiles are designed to provide a quick snapshot of each district's demographics.
Check out the Commission District Profiles below or by visiting the Planning and Sustainability Long Range Planning Page.
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With over 170 Registrants since the launch of Engage DeKalb in June 2023, our team is working to promote the website to the community to get them aware of the different projects we are working on in Planning and Sustainability, as well as opportunities for community feedback. Our team looks forward to expanding the website and making navigation easier. | |
2023 Georgia Tech Design Studio
Ga Tech's studio design class collaborated with Via Transportation, Commissioner Ted Terry, the Microlife Institute, MARTA, and the Planning and Sustainability Department to create a study of the Scottsdale area.
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Urban Leader Fellowship (ULF) | In the summer of 2023, the Long Range Planning division hosted two ULF Fellows, Abigail Cook and Khalil Coleman. The two fellows focused their research on Housing Insecurity in DeKalb County and provided invaluable recommendations for the team to consider. The ULF group also worked alongside Commissioner Ted Terry and presented their research before the Board of Commissioners. | |  |
Drew Charter School Engineering Internship | The DeKalb County Planning and Sustainability Department is hosting two Drew Charter School Senior High School students for their Planning and Sustainability Internship for the 2023-2024 school year. The students have worked with the Long Range and Current Planning division in 2023 and will be working with Land Development and Permitting in 2024. | | |
Memorial Drive Revitalization Updates | |
Memorial Drive Tour
Representatives for Senators Ossoff and
Warnock, Congressman Hank Johnson,
Commissioner Bradshaw, Decide DeKalb, DeKalb Chamber, Lexicon Strategies, and the Planning Division took a tour along
the Memorial Drive corridor on February 22nd to view the rebranding efforts soon
underway.
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Memorial Drive Rebranding | |
On June 08, 2023, the final Public Meeting for the Memorial Drive Rebranding Initiative.
With the community feedback provided during the meeting and other feedback tools, an application for the Memorial Drive Rebranding has been submitted to GDOT and is awaiting feedback.
We look forward to making progress with this project in 2024.
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The Trees and Trails Community Action Group of the Memorial Drive Revitalization Corridor Plan hosted their in-person public engagement meeting on Wednesday, August 2nd, 2023.
With the assistance of the PATH Foundation, the Indian Creek Trail Study was completed.
More information to come regarding the Indian Creek Trail Study as well as other future projects in 2024.
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East Memorial Drive Revitalization Foundation | |
The East Memorial Drive Revitalization Foundation hosted a variety of events throughout 2023.
Their grand event for the year was the DeKalb County Good Neighbors Day Out on September 30, 2023.
The community action group aims to host more events and provide community resources in 2024.
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Celebrating World Planning Day 2023 | |
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On November 08, 2023, the Planning and Sustainability Department hosted World Planning Day. More than 125 community members and students attended the event to learn about urban planning, sustainability, and tactical urbanism.
At the event, participants learned about sustainability with tree planting, home weatherization, and rain barrel workshops. Participants also learned about Tactical Urbanism through a variety of pop-ups around the event space.
Our team will continue hosting World Planning Day for years to come. We look forward to 2024's event!
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Community Meetings and Outreach | |
Throughout 2023, the DeKalb County Planning and Sustainability Department attended many community outreach meetings. Some notable ones are listed below. We look forward to seeing the community even more in 2024! | |
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District 3 Town Hall Meeting
June 13, 2023
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Indian Creek Station Area Design Charette
July 19, 2023
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Towers Community Meeting
July 25, 2023
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Mobile Permitting Pop-Up
September 29, 2023
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Civic Associations Network
October 18, 2023
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District 3 Economic Development Breakfast
October 28, 2023
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Sustainability
Sustainability supports DeKalb’s strategic priorities to preserve natural resources and enhance quality of life and equity throughout DeKalb County, through a unified vision and goals for sustainable practices. Our focus areas are tree and greenspace preservation, energy efficiency, water conservation, solid waste reduction, and environmental education.
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Trees Atlanta Front Yard Program
Through a partnership with Trees Atlanta, each year we plant hundreds of trees throughout unincorporated DeKalb County. Through the Front Yard Tree Program, property owners in unincorporated DeKalb, as well as many of the cities located in DeKalb County, are eligible to have Trees Atlanta plant trees in their front yard at no cost to the property owner!
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ARC Green Communities Application
DeKalb County is a certified Green Community!
The Green Communities Program is a voluntary sustainability certification program of the Atlanta Regional Commission that helps local governments reduce their environmental impact through actionable measures. In 2023, DeKalb County completed a number of “green” measures to raise our current Green Communities certification level. The results of this application will be announced in January, 2024.
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Clean Energy and Transportation Plan
This year, Southface Institute was chosen as the vendor to conduct DeKalb’s Clean Energy and Transportation plan. We are in the process of implementing numerous initiatives to reduce DeKalb’s energy consumption. In addition, in partnership with Southface Institute, we held two energy efficiency workshops for DeKalb residents, including one on clean energy options, as well as a hands-on demonstration of home weatherproofing to reduce energy consumption.
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Water Conservation
To help residents conserve water, in partnership with Chattahoochee Riverkeepers and the DeKalb Soil and Water Conservation District, we offered a hands-on workshop that allowed DeKalb residents to convert recycled plastic drums into working rain barrels to collect rainwater at their homes!
25 Rain Barrels were distributed to community members. DeKalb County plans to host more rain barrel workshops for residents in 2024.
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Looking forward to 2024
With a wonderful 2023 behind us, our team looks forward to helping to create a more livable, equitable, sustainable, beautiful, and prosperous DeKalb County in 2024.
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