Increasing Diversity

The Metro Atlanta region as a whole is very diverse and becoming more diverse with every census. Like Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area, Stone Mountain, and the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, the Chattahoochee River Greenway promises to provide green space for a great diversity of users. However, many of the most diverse areas of the Metro Atlanta region are simultaneously places where historic communities are being displaced. The Chattahoochee River Greenway is poised to provide a public realm where all the diverse populations of the region can benefit. The challenges of unequal access and displacement resulting from investments in urban green space will be at the forefront of the study. The River greenway could likely have implications for housing affordability. Regional planning tools should be considered in tandem with the Greenway Study that prioritize affordable housing development and environmental justice. The Chattahoochee River Greenway Study will take special care to engage, listen, and respond to the most vulnerable communities along the River, providing new access opportunities while preserving social cohesion.

The study will strive to make the Chattahoochee River Corridor an inclusive public realm where all are invited to live, work, and play. This includes the consideration of a wide range of recreational activities attractive to many ages and cultures, appreciating differences in use of the water for religious, cultural, and spiritual practice. Multiple languages are spoken along the River corridor, and the Greenway Study should consider multi-language and universal wayfinding strategies that are accessible to a variety of backgrounds and ages. As residents of the suburbs become older, and younger generations move to Atlanta’s urban core, the range of active and passive recreational opportunities identified in the Greenway Study should reflect the shifting demographics of the region.