Atlanta is planning a big change to make the city better. They want to turn boring parking lots into lively areas with homes, offices, stores, parks, and paths for people to walk.
The Georgia World Congress Center Authority has a plan to change 20 acres near the convention center. This plan could cost more than $1 billion. They want to get rid of the parking lots on the north and west sides of the convention center and replace them with useful things.
The Big Plan
This plan is still new, and they haven’t figured out how to pay for it yet. But it’s an exciting idea to make Atlanta’s city spaces better.
The plan suggests building parking decks instead of flat parking lots and making the area easier for people to walk around. Right now, it’s hard to get around because of all the big roads around the Congress Center.
The people in charge of this plan, who also manage places like Centennial Olympic Park and Mercedes-Benz Stadium, think this will make the area nicer.
Planning for the Future
This big plan, according to Sheba Ross, an architect, is like a “framework” that gives ideas for what to build. It’s all about using city land in the best way possible.
In Atlanta, where big roads and cars are everywhere, it’s a chance to think differently. They hope to figure out how to pay for and start some parts of this plan by the end of the year.
This plan is part of a bigger idea to make cities better by focusing on things like walking and different kinds of buildings, instead of just roads and cars.
More Than Just Parking Lots
The plan from the Georgia World Congress Center Authority is a big deal for city planning. By building different things like homes, stores, and parks, Atlanta is showing other cities how to use empty spaces well.
If this plan happens, it could be a good example for other cities with similar problems. Also, making paths for walking and connecting to existing trails shows that Atlanta cares about people being able to move around without cars, which is good for the environment.
