What ‘The Stitch’ needs, according to land use experts

March 1,2019

While a bit short on details, the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and several nationally renowned land use experts and urban planners laid out all the reasons for implementing the potential $400 million development known as “The Stitch” at a community meeting Friday.

The panel, speaking to a packed room at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, which is right in the heart of the area where the proposed development would be, made their beliefs known on how to position the project as well as the development impact, design components and funding.

The project aims to bring 14 acres of new construction and green space atop a half-mile stretch of the I-75/85 Connector. The aim is to create a live-work-play community that stretches from the Civic Center to the MARTA Civic Center station. Currently, it’s estimated the development will take around six years to build out.

The panel’s visit is part of the ULI’s participation in the 10-Minute Walk Campaign, which aims to give residents across the country access to parks within a 10-minute walk of their neighborhoods. The campaign is being promoted by the ULI in association with the Trust for Public Land and the National Recreation and Park Association.

James Lima, president of New York City-based James Lima Planning + Development, acknowledged that a dialogue among all the stakeholders must start before anything can move forward. To succeed, a project like the Stitch must be “sustainable and bring a quality work-life experience. And it must also bring about a social, economic and environmental impact,” he said. He added that having useable open space must be “more than a feel-good experience,” and should help a city be more competitive.

Read the complete article at the link above.