The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), the planning agency for the 11-county Atlanta region, is accepting public comments through Oct. 18 on the region’s Public Participation Plan.
“The Public Participation Plan is a forward-thinking blueprint that will help ARC better engage with residents as we make the investments needed to move our region forward,” Anna Roach, ARC executive director and CEO, said. “This plan also ensures the community engagement we receive is applicable, relevant, and accountable. It sets a new standard for this critically important work.”
The plan outlines ARC’s policies and procedures for public participation in the region’s transportation planning process. It includes a set of preferred tactics and related tools to improve public participation efforts.
Tactics include advisory committees, blog posts, community presentations, e-newsletters, focus groups, partnerships with local governments and community-based organizations, open houses, and surveys. Tools include funding micro-grants for neighborhood-scale projects, collecting stories through video diaries and interviews, compensating community-based organizations for providing expertise, and providing childcare and food at in-person meetings.
ARC Board approval of the plan is expected in November.
ARC’s mission is to foster thriving communities through collaborative, data-informed planning and investments. The region includes Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, and Rockdale counties.