ENGAGE.
Are you a Downtown neighbor, worker, or visitor?
We want to hear from you! Check out the event calendar below to join one of the community activities for this project.
Previous Engagement Activities
PROJECT UPDATE VIRTUAL MEETING.
The City hosted a virtual meeting to learn about the findings from the Peachtree Shared Space Study, sharing what we've learned from the demonstration project and what's coming next. It was held on December 16, 2021 from 6 to 7:30 pm via Zoom.
PARK(ING) DAY.
The City and Central Atlanta Progress hosted Park(ing) Day on Peachtree Street on September 30th, 2021. Park(ing) Day is an worldwide celebration that transforms spaces usually designated for cars into parks and places for people to enjoy. Community members were invited to join for fun activities like lawn games, dog portraits, giant jenga, and free Mocha Pops. Staff was also on site with a booth to discuss the Demonstration Project and get feedback from the public.
DESIGN OVER DONUTS.
The Atlanta City Studio's Design Over Donuts series returned with a tour of the Demonstration Project on Friday, August 6th from 8 to 9 am. Staff met community members at the outdoor tables at Peachtree Center to visit and discuss the project. Commissioner Tim Keane spoke to 42 participants about the history of Atlanta and the choice we have as a community about how and where we will grow, and the role Peachtree Street will play in that growth by creating an exceptional, magnetic public space for Downtown Atlanta that will help keep and attract residents and businesses Downtown. Comments from participants included a desire for more activities, a concern about perceived congestion and access for emergency vehicles, a desire to keep making Downtown more competitive with other areas of Atlanta, and a love for the mid-block crossing and beautification.
DEMONSTRATION PROJECT COMMUNITY MEETING.
We hosted a community meeting focused on the demonstration project on Monday, May 24th from 6 to 7 pm via Zoom. To help us make better decisions about the design of the shared space, we’re testing what’s possible using temporary, low-cost materials for a short-term demonstration project that will help inform its design. Starting the week of June 21st, three blocks between Baker Street and Ellis Street will change temporarily to make more space for people and test how this works with vehicles. At this meeting, the project designers walked attendees through the proposed design and asked for their feedback on the concept. City staff was also be available to answer questions.
COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS.
We hosted two workshop series to gather input and collaborate on ideas for a reimagined Peachtree Street: Discovery Workshop Week (November 2020) and Design Workshop Week (January 2021). A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for a community meeting, virtual open studio, or stakeholder interview! Your insights will go a long way in shaping the design of this project. Meeting recordings are available below for those who were not able to join us live.
Discovery Workshop Week
The first of two community workshop weeks focused on understanding the key issues and opportunities for the project through the community's eyes. We asked for the community's opinion on:
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What is the best spot for a shared space?
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What design features would you like to see?
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What issues should the design address?
Discovery Workshop Week
Discovery Workshop Week
Peachtree Shared Space Community Kickoff Meeting
Peachtree Shared Space Tactical Urbanism 101
Peachtree Shared Space Virtual Open Studio: Session 2
Design Workshop Week
Based on community input and technical analysis, the preferred location for the pilot shared space project was determined to be in the Peachtree Center area from West Peachtree Street (Hardy Ivy Park) to Forsyth Street (Margaret Mitchell Plaza). The second workshop focused on deepening community understanding of how a shared space would work and developing a conceptual design for the shared space and retrofitting other parts of Peachtree Street within the study area (North Avenue to West Peachtree Street and Forsyth Street to Marietta Street).
Recordings of the following virtual activities are available below:
Live from Seattle: Bell Street Virtual Tour
We took a virtual tour with the designers of a shared space in Seattle called Bell Street to help community members better understand what this kind of project could feel like in real life and the challenges a peer city overcame to make it a reality. We heard behind the scenes stories like how underground utilities impacted the landscape strategy, how they manage stormwater on a curbless street, and policies that were adopted to support a new kind of public space. Watch the video
Great Streets Forum
What makes a great street? We talked with a panel of national experts on what makes them work and how we can make the Peachtree Shared Space an exceptional public space for Atlanta. t focused on four issues identified by the community as keys to success for the Peachtree Shared Space. We heard a short presentation from each panelist, followed by a live question and answer session. We heard from Tamika L. Butler on equity, Emily Weidenhof on paradigm shifts in transportation, Tara Green on activating and programming vibrant public spaces, and Amalia Leighton Cody on innovative stormwater management through green infrastructure. The panel was be moderated by Vanessa Lira, an assistant director in the Department of City Planning overseeing the Public Space Studio. Learn more about each of the speakers below. Watch the video
Demonstration Project Open House
How can we test how a shared space would work on Peachtree Street? While we can’t test a true, curbless shared space as a demonstration project, there are elements we can test with removable materials in a short-term, low cost installation that will inform the final design of the space. This session outlined what is possible for a demonstration project, presented draft concepts, and got feedback from participants to inform the design.
The demonstration will focus on testing the potential to reduce the number of vehicle lanes, increase space for pedestrians, and add flexibility for public space elements like outdoor dining areas. It will take place on Peachtree Street between Baker Street and Ellis Street later this spring.
This meeting was led by Tony Garcia, a national expert in tactical urbanism whose team is designing the Peachtree Street demonstration project. Check out some of Tony’s previous work and learn more about tactical urbanism here. Watch the video
You can take a closer look at the draft demonstration project concept presented in the video in this PDF. The concept will be revised prior to installation this spring, based on input from the community.
Community Open Studio
The design team invited community members to the virtual drawing table to review the project goals, vision, and key design considerations before walking through initial design concepts for the shared space (West Peachtree Street to Forsyth Street) and ideas for retrofitting the portions of Peachtree Street leading up to it. Participants gave feedback on the draft concepts and shared their own ideas for the design in breakout group sessions. We used a platform called Miro, a collaborative digital whiteboard, to share ideas and capture feedback. Check it out the web version of the open studio boards here, or review this PDF. Watch the video
You can review the draft concept sketches presented in the video in this PDF. The concept will be revised based on input from the community.
Design Workshop Week
Design Workshop Week
Peachtree Shared Space: Community Open Studio
Peachtree Shared Space: Demonstration Project Open House
Peachtree Shared Space: Great Streets Forum
KEEPING OUR COMMUNITY SAFE.
Whether it's street design or engagement activities, keeping our community safe is our top priority. To follow social distancing guidelines in response to COVID-19, all currently scheduled activities for this project will be held virtually. We will continue to monitor public health guidance and will incorporate in-person activities if it becomes safe to do so. Learn more about the City of Atlanta's response to COVID-19, including its phased reopening plan, here.
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