In 2018, The Trust for Public Land, Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), Cobb County and the City of Atlanta came together to develop a vision for a 100-mile long public realm along the Chattahoochee River. For more than 25 years, The Trust for Public Land has collaborated with dozens of partners such as these to protect and preserve the Chattahoochee, with the Chattahoochee RiverLands Greenway Study representing a landmark opportunity to build upon existing efforts such as the Metropolitan River Protection Act (MRPA) and redefine the river as a beloved local, regional and national asset.

Working with nationally renowned landscape architecture and urban design studio SCAPE, the study is being shaped by significant research, guidance from key stakeholders and input from people who have attended public forums. And now, following months of listening, three potential approaches have emerged:

● Path of Least Resistance

● Path of Least Ecological Impact

● A Network of Destinations

The three options weight certain criteria differently, resulting in a varied mix of parks, trails and other amenities along the river.

A November 2 public forum will offer an opportunity for community members to review maps associated with each of the three approaches and provide feedback to further inform the development of Chattahoochee RiverLands.

“Our region is growing in so many ways; this process is critical to ensuring quality of life for everyone who has a stake in our region,” said Byron Rushing with the Atlanta Regional Commission. “As with any complex process, compromise will be key. The final plan will take safety, wayfinding, development pressures and other expressed issues and opportunities into consideration.”

The planning process is expected to conclude in spring 2020. Following the release of the study, cities, counties, NGOs and others will work together to bring different parts of the plan to life over the coming decades, factoring in hyper-local needs and remaining nimble as community dynamics change.

Please join us on Nov. 2 and tell us what you think - every voice matters!

Read more: Walt Ray with The Trust for Public Land and Byron Rushing with the ARC shared early insights into the process in their Q&A for Saporta Report, The Future Begins Now: An Update on the Chattahoochee River Master Planning Process.