On the first page of the Executive Summary of a dense, 34-page document called The Buckhead Collection, a surprising fact is offered: Buckhead has less greenspace than any other area of Atlanta, not to mention peer communities in other "premier" U.S. cities. Livable Buckhead, Inc. (LBI) aims to remedy that situation, and they've released a very detailed implementation plan and feasibility study prepared by the international architecture/engineering firm AECOM that offers an inspiring vision of what Buckhead could be. In embracing basic tenants of sustainability and the ethos that public spaces build value at nearly every level of society, the Buckhead Collection calls for land acquisition and construction of places that are the foundation of great cities: community greens, sports facilities, greenways and recreational trails, dog parks, etc. In addition to considering how Buckhead's efforts can exploit synergies with other Atlanta projects like The BeltLine, the comprehensive plan also reaches into the importance of linking greenspaces with relevant cultural and historical assets, and advocates for more public art. LBI is part of a network of Buckhead booster/planning organizations including BATMA and the Buckhead CID, and between the three organizations, a formidable collection of Buckhead business and civic leaders are involved. Every bit of official clout and private support this group can wrangle will need to be brought to bear: the budget for the grand plan is some $175 million and will require cooperation and agreement among a rather disparate collection of constituencies. No one ever said retroactive city planning was cheap or easy.
· Livable Buckhead, Inc. [official cite]
· The Buckhead Collection [AECOM for Council District 7 + Buckhead CID]
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