A Common Ground For All

The Chattahoochee RiverLands will be accessible to people, of all backgrounds, abilities and ages. The resources of the RiverLands will be inviting to the widest possible range of users, creating a common ground for recreation that equitably serves the diverse and expanding communities of the Metro Atlanta Region. Historically underserved neighborhoods will be connected to the RiverLands, opening up opportunities for new public space creation and park designation that provide access for those who need them most. Communities will be engaged in the process, with their voices shaping and co-designing spaces that serve their community. In addition to the promise of improved quality of life benefits for said neighborhoods, this vision also acknowledges an awareness and concern about the potential for the RiverLands to precipitate gentrification and displacement if care is not taken to consider and plan with low-income and marginalized communities in mind.

“At Groundwork Atlanta, we are committed to bringing stakeholders together to build a holistic approach to how the Chattahoochee RiverLands Greenway can benefit everyone. We believe this Study is an opportunity to create a common ground for all.”

Jill Arrington, Groundwork Atlanta

CONNECT ALL COMMUNITIES TO PUBLIC SPACE

The Chattahoochee RiverLands represents an opportunity to link historically underserved communities to new and existing community resources along the river. Connections to new gathering spaces and public amenities will provide these communities with greater direct access to the River and unite diverse populations with one another to build a more robust social infrastructure that traces the Chattahoochee.

CREATE INVITING DESTINATIONS

The RiverLands will establish a new public realm along the Chattahoochee, by connecting existing park spaces and catalyzing the creation of new park spaces in underserved communities. These spaces not only promote ecological stewardship by allowing trail users to gather and recreate near the River, but they also provide important stop-over points for people moving along the Greenway.

IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The RiverLands is a regional recreational amenity that will catalyze local economic development. Given the region’s rapid population growth, it is critical to think long-term and strategically about how the Greenway will support low-impact activation of the river in ways that can co-exist within a functional ecosystem. Identifying strategic sites of redevelopment, including commercial development, trails and recreation sites, along the Greenway will help to increase access to recreational and nature-based attractions along the corridor, while minimizing ecological disturbance. Where possible, river activation and redevelopment will be clustered in previously disturbed land.

IDENTIFY SITES FOR REMEDIATION AND RESTORATION

Soil and water contamination pose ongoing threats to the health of the river and those who recreate in and along it. The RiverLands will focus on identifying environmental justice challenges along the river corridor and will propose projects along the Greenway that remediate and restore spaces and make them healthy and accessible to all.