New initiative seeks to create tiny public places around Atlanta

For those Atlantans who’ve enjoyed the new seating areas and art installations along Broad Street, get ready for more.

These “parklets” popping up around the city are part of a new initiative known as the Placemaking Program. A partnership between The Trust for Public Land and the Atlanta Department of City Planning, the program seeks to create “quality places in which people want to live, work, play, and learn.”

Through the program, local residents can request funding for projects in their communities; however, they must be full participants in turning the projects into reality.

All applicants must have a team to lead the design process as well as raise community support for the project.

Site recommendations also must meet specific requirements such as being located on a City of Atlanta-owned roadway with a posted speed limit of 35 MPH or less. Full details are provided in the initiative’s Program Guide.

City of Atlanta

The city will allocate $100,000 to oversee management and development of placemaking projects each year, while The Trust for Public Land is fundraising an additional $100,000 in technical assistance and donations of materials.

Selected projects may receive an initial budget ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 based on how complex the project is.

Current pilot projects already in place include a MARTA bus station in Cascade Heights at Cascade Road and Boulevard Granada and a parklet at the intersection of North Highland and Amsterdam avenues in Virginia-Highland.

City of Atlanta

For those interested in learning more about the program, there will be two public information sessions: Tuesday, February 12, at 6:30 p.m. at the Rosel Fann Recreation Center and Tuesday, February 16, at a time and Midtown location to be announced.