The Georgia Conservancy and Georgia Tech's City and Regional Planning Program are kicking off a partnership with the Lindbergh LaVista Corridor Coalition (LLCC) for the next Blueprints for Successful Communities planning project, focusing on the Lindbergh LaVista Corridor (LLC), scheduled for August - December 2008.  The public is welcome to participate in the Blueprints process, which will include four meetings during the four-month period.

Blueprints for Successful Communities is an education and technical assistance program of the Georgia Conservancy designed to facilitate community-based planning throughout the state. During its 13-year history, Blueprints for Successful Communities has conducted 18 stakeholder-driven planning programs in neighborhoods, communities, cities and counties around Georgia, reaching thousands of people.  The program guides communities to develop an action plan to make the most of their assets and face their growth challenges head-on, with the final Blueprints report serving as the community's implementation plan - their guide to achieving their vision.

The Lindbergh LaVista Corridor Blueprints project will focus on the area roughly defined by I-85/GA 400 to the west, Sheridan Road to the north, Briarcliff Road to the east, the CSX rail line to the south, and taking into account connectivity through the site as well as major development initiatives beyond the immediate area.  Stakeholders in the community planning process will include residents, business owners, land owners, management companies, religious and educational institutions, neighborhood organizations and associations, and all of the relevant institutions and government agencies.  

While the Lindbergh LaVista Corridor is mostly built out, it is on the cusp of significant change. Large and small properties are coming up for redevelopment. Nearby institutions like Emory and the CDC continue to expand. The area around the Lindbergh MARTA station continues to redevelop. Transit connectivity through the study area is under active consideration. The locally preferred alternative for the commuter rail line from downtown to Athens is the CSX line that frames the south part of the study area. The design for the completion of the I-85/GA 400 interchange presents special problems and alternative approaches. The need for maintaining community affordability, including such issues as mix, density, diversity and connectivity of activities present obstacles and opportunities. The special asset represented by the converging forks of Peachtree Creek frame environmental opportunities and challenges.

With the neighborhoods that make up the Lindbergh LaVista Corridor Coalition (LLCC) (Lindridge-Martin Manor, LaVista Park, Woodland Hills) as its client and supported by the Georgia Conservancy, the Georgia Tech City Planning Urban Design Studio will try to sort out the myriad issues at play, covering transportation, land use, the environmental landscape, affordable housing, urban design, development and redevelopment. The studio will work with the neighborhoods, their jurisdictions, surrounding stakeholders, local businesses and landowners.  Together, the participants will identify assets and challenges, analyze existing conditions, and identify alternative courses of action that may be considered to produce positive results for all concerned.

Related to the city planning studio, a concurrent architecture studio will be focusing in some detail on design typologies and other issues related to affordable urbanism, including density, mixed use and affordable housing explorations.