Athens-Clarke County, GA
Strategic Plan

Athens-Clarke County, Georgia, is a vibrant and evolving community, with a growing population and an increase in residents over age 65. As a university town, it benefits from the presence of the University of Georgia, but is also facing shifts, including a decline in manufacturing and growth in the healthcare sector. At the same time, poverty rates have been rising. To plan for this change, the community engaged a team led by Planning NEXT to create a strategic Action Agenda. The Envision Athens process focused on addressing key community issues to ensure future growth capitalizes on the area’s strengths and potential.

Vital Public Engagement

Throughout the Envision Athens process, Public outreach and engagement was vital. It was guided by a 38-member Steering Committee. A series of publicized workshops attracted more than 600 participants and resulted in 4,000 unique comments and ideas. These meetings were coupled with 23 focus group interviews and a two-day stakeholder workshop. The themes derived from this input served as the foundation for the action plan and informed the community’s ten goal statements.

Aspirational Plan

The final plan was aspirational and represented the ideas of thousands of citizens and stakeholders. The Action Agenda prioritized projects, policies and programs selected through the process. In five topical chapters, it addressed pressing challenges and key opportunities related to: land use, environment, neighborhoods, housing, agriculture, economic development, education, health, safety, social services, arts and culture, civic engagement, transportation, and infrastructure.

Making It Happen

During the process, Envision Athens team members began meeting with core Institutional Partners to discuss implementation activities. These partners then met to finalize an agreement, two-year budget, and scope of work. Their agreement called for the creation of an Oversight Committee and solicitation of a Project Manager to oversee implementation efforts. Since 2018, several projects have been accomplished that relate to transportation, neighborhoods, safety, arts and culture, health, education, social services, land use, housing, and more.

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Tags

Project Type: strategic plan
Community Type: county and city
Client: Athens-Clarke County
Services: strategic planning, public engagement