In November of 1995, the Midtown Alliance began to develop a comprehensive economic program for Midtown Atlanta. Since that time, the Midtown Alliance has continued and augmented its ongoing projects and programs that address quality-of-life issues in the following areas:
- public safety
- education
- arts development
- streets and environment
- human services
- leadership development
We have also organized and implemented Blueprint Midtown, a community-based planning process that will stimulate new development, provide direction for public improvements and enhance the pedestrian environment.
Blueprint Midtown reflects the Midtown community's vision, which has been shaped by building consensus among diverse groups, examining the successes and failures of our past, and developing strategies for economic growth. With the assistance of consultant Anton Nelessen, We have actively pursued the opinions and ideas of all sectors of our community through a visual survey, a questionnaire, a workshop, and a series of follow-up review sessions.
The planning process has included not only the identification of the vision but also an intensive evaluation of existing physical and economic conditions, policies, plans, and regulations that currently influence Midtown. As we enter the next phase of the process, task forces drawn from the community will define strategies to realize the community's plan, using the baseline data already collected. Those task forces will be focused on transportation, urban streetscapes, funding alternatives, communication and marketing, zoning and built environment.
The combination of our ongoing projects and the new Blueprint Midtown initiatives will result in a more comprehensive and implementable economic development program for Midtown.
This program is the next step in establishing Midtown as a model for center city redevelopment. Implementation will dramatically enhance the area's livability and economic growth into the twenty-first century.
The total project cost will be $3.2 million over the next three years. The Midtown Alliance has already received a committment from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation for $550,000 for the first year. The Midtown Alliance will raise $2,650,000 through association dues, in-kind services, and additional private donations from major stakeholders in the Midtown community.
About Anton Nelessen:
Anton Nelessen is well-known in the U.S. as well as Europe as an innovative leader in community-based urban design. An outspoken advocate of public participation in the urban design process, Nelessen has pioneered the use of multimedia visioning techniques and environmental simulation.
As president of his Princeton, New Jersey-based firm, A. Nelessen Associates, Inc.(www.anavision.com), he has guided the preparation of Vision Plans for many U.S. cities, including Olympia, Washington; Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Saint Paul, Minnesota. He has also provided community planning and design throughout Holland.
