Downtown Atlanta Master Plan
In 2017, the Downtown Atlanta Master Plan ("the Plan") was approved by Atlanta City Council.
The Downtown Atlanta Master Plan is the result of a yearlong collaborative process that engaged people from all walks of life in Downtown Atlanta, the City of Atlanta and the region in a conversation about the next fifteen years in the center city’s unfolding future. With the recent growth in our City and exciting new projects in Downtown, the time was ripe for us to come together and consider trends driving new growth, weigh the potential for change, establish the aspects of Downtown we wish to preserve, and determine how best to guide coming change.
The Downtown Atlanta Master Plan is comprehensive, addressing a range of topics that will help the Downtown community, led by the City of Atlanta in collaboration with Central Atlanta Progress, Inc. (CAP) and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District (ADID) and their many partners, navigate and advocate for land use changes and transportation improvements, investments in open space and the public realm, and a range of policies and programs that together will unlock Downtown’s real estate and economic development potential in support of a more vibrant, livable, and equitable Downtown for all to enjoy.
The Process
The plan was developed based on input from thousands of people who were engaged throughout the process. The plan’s supporting recommendations echo the priorities of our Downtown community and offer a road map for translating our vision for Downtown into reality.
The Six Goals
The plan identifies over 100 strategies for Downtown and the strategies are organized into 6 categories.
Maintain focus on quality of life issues
to humanize Downtown
Topics include: clean and safe strategies and homelessness
- 1.1 Continue to keep Downtown clean and safe
- 1.2 Support efforts to address homelessness Downtown
Uncover, celebrate and preserve Downtown's heritage
to ensure that new growth does not overwrite our history
Topics include: arts, culture, and preservation
- 2.1 Connect the dots of Downtown's unique amenities
- 2.2 Tell Downtown's overlooked and untold stories
- 2.3 Celebrate and preserve Downtown's creativity
- 2.4 Preserve Downtown's built heritage
Grow Downtown neighborhoods
tailored to meet the needs of the residents
Topics include: residential and commercial development and neighborhood character, diversity, and pride
- 3.1 Reinforce the unique character of each Downtown neighborhood
- 3.2 Invest to create a connected, dense "residential backbone" in the heart of Downtown
- 3.3 Re-imagine critical sites
- 3.4 Provide housing options to retain a mix of incomes Downtown
- 3.5 Strengthen resident ties Downtown
- 3.6 Market Downtown living & promote a family-friendly Downtown
Reinforce Downtown's role as the entrepreneurial and economic center
of the region
Topics include: retail and office redevelopment opportunities, ground floor activation, jobs, and economic development.
- 4.1 Help to grow new businesses and talent downtown
- 4.2 Activate the ground floor
- 4.3 Protect space for making things Downtown
Restore the forest in the center of the city
to improve air and water quality, create shade, and add beauty Downtown.
Topics include: open space and greening, health, sustainability, and programming for all ages.
- 5.1 Boost the tree canopy
- 5.2 Integrate green infrastructure
- 5.3 Develop a program to re-design "blah-zas" as vibrant plazas
- 5.4 Integrate play and active green spaces at MARTA stations
- 5.5 Create green gateways
- 5.6 Increase linear connectivity to create green ribbons around the city
- 5.7 Integrate health into the Downtown experience
- 5.8 Develop with a commitment to sustainability
Offer real choice in transportation
to reduce traffic congestion and reliance on automobiles and create space for increased activity
Topics include: street design and connectivity, a multi-modal future, and parking
- 6.1 Manage Downtown streets, sidewalks, and parking for success
- 6.2 Design streets according to their personalities
- 6.3 Shift how people commute and travel in, out and through Downtown
- 6.4 Monitor and evaluate transportation projects
Progress on Implementation
In December 2017, the Downtown Atlanta Master Plan was adopted by Atlanta City Council. In the two years since adoption, many aspects of the plan have been put in motion. The Implementation Progress Report focuses on those strategies that are underway or have made significant progress over the past two years and summarizes the activities that have taken place to date toward implementation. The accompanying 2019 Implementation Report Card provides a snapshot of progress-to-date on implementing the Plan's recommendations.
Master Plan Newsletter