CONGREGATE: ENGLISH AVENUE
The City of Atlanta’s Department of City Planning was asked to revisit and support initiatives defined in the Westside Land Use Framework Plan. As a result, the Atlanta City Studio met with community leaders of the historic neighborhood English Avenue. The outcome was the acknowledgment and proposal of strategies needed to strengthen neighborhood assets that reinforce its unique identity. Congregate is the name of this collaborative initiative. It seeks to leverage existing community relationships and efforts while combining infrastructure improvements and locally-driven arts and cultural programming. The work is focused at the intersection of Cameron Madison Alexander Boulevard and James P. Brawley Drive. This central location creates a platform for public life to thrive. Project priorities include physical improvements, arts and culture integration, economic development, public safety enhancements, and community sustainability.
CITY DESIGN CORE VALUES
All Office of Design initiatives incorporate at least one of the Atlanta City Design core values.
WHAT WE LEARNED
It builds on what has already been done: It often seems that City Planning exclusively makes plans. By contrast, this approach looked at what had already been done, built upon it, and enacted those plans.
Partnerships make progress: Agencies, community members, and other professional groups are able to engage in ways that are sensitive to community desires.
Creating a model for the city: Residents are showing and telling us how they want to use their space. Our job is to find a way to make that happen. We can use the work accomplished in English Avenue as a precedent for how we should be doing this throughout the city.
WHAT WE LIKED
Sets the stage for more public life and economic growth: Activating neighborhood centers can create spaces where people want to gather and support their local businesses.
Adaptive reuse of buildings: St. Mark A.M.E. Church has been transformed from a vacant facade to a flexible outdoor community and event space.
Supports community ownership: This initiative was brought to the City by community leaders who have spent years working towards this vision.
