LCI Study Area 10-Year Update (January 2013)

The approximate geographic area of the Livable Centers Initiative during the "10 Year Update" process, published in January 2013. View the full report here. Specifically, this layer is shown in Exhibit 1, page vii, the "LCI Study Area." Executive Summary: UNLOCKING NEW OPPORTUNITIES The City of Sandy Springs intends to achieve a variety of objectives through the LCI 10-Year Update (January 2013 version). LCI refers to the Livable Centers Initiative, a program of the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) that assists local governments and organizations in planning efforts that are significant to the region. This plan incorporates additional material from the Sandy Springs City Center Master Plan that was unavailable when the previous version of this update was submitted in Sept. 2012. Exhibit 1 on page vii identifies the LCI study area and the City Center study area contained within it. This document (LCI Plan) places special emphasis on the City Center study area as the portion of the LCI study area best positioned for reinvestments that meet community goals. At the same time, it addresses the remainder of the LCI study area, which also offers important opportunities for reinvestment that complement the qualities of City Center and adjacent neighborhoods. A grant from the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) supported the joint planning process that created this update and the City Center Master Plan, which is available as a companion document. Joint objectives, described on page vi, under LCI Plan Outcomes, include: • enhancing quality of life • promoting economic development • strengthening sense of community This LCI Plan establishes a framework for public and private action that capitalizes on new demographic and market trends. The LCI Plan will equip the City to fill unmet demand for an active, pedestrian-oriented downtown area that includes expanded transportation options. The following conditions have unlocked this unparalleled level of opportunity to create civic and economic value in the study area: • Real estate market interest in walkable, mixed-use development can transform the study area over time into a district with significant new housing, job and retail options—while enhancing the City’s fiscal position. • Public interest in parks,walkable streets and cultural events that bring people together can shape private investment helping to build a welcoming place full of life and community. • The City’s interest in and ability to make infrastructure investments and to update development policies to attract and support private investment can help address the issues of mixed-use development. • The City Center can attract new high value development in ways that preserve and enhance nearby traditional residential neighb