Blueprints for Successful Communites: Piedmont Heights Neighborhood Master Plan Update

The Past Informing the Future - A Blueprint for Atlanta’s “First Neighborhood”

Imagining Lithia Springs Downtown

During the summer of 2023, Atlanta’s Piedmont Heights Civic Association (PHCA) engaged Canvas Planning Group to update the neighborhood’s master plan – first completed in 2007 by the Georgia Conservancy. As such, Canvas Planning partnered with the Georgia Conservancy to develop the updated plan. This came at a crossroads moment for the neighborhood and city, with the Atlanta BeltLine segment adjacent to Piedmont Heights fully completed in November 2023 and meetings for Atlanta’s Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) beginning in Spring 2024. The timing presents an exciting opportunity for the neighborhood to bring a codified, city-adopted plan to the table in the CDP update – springboarding improvements and recommendations outlined through the plan’s research, data collection, and engagement processes.

Located just north of Atlanta’s Piedmont Park, Piedmont Heights is an in-town neighborhood bordered by three main transportation landmarks - the former CSX railroad and current BeltLine to the west, Piedmont Avenue to the east, and Interstate 85/Buford Spring Connector to the north. The updated master plan will use these peripheries to define the neighborhood, though notably the 2007 master plan extended the official neighborhood boundaries to include Armour Yards. The rail yards, elevated highways, and off-ramps dividing these two areas are slated to enjoy a renewed connection through the completion of the BeltLine’s multiuse trail system - slated to be completed before the end of the decade. Zooming out, the neighborhood is slated between two rapidly growing areas: Midtown and Lindbergh Center. Piedmont Heights also borders Piedmont Park, which as a protected greenspace is very likely to remain undeveloped, and the historically protected neighborhood of Ansley Park.

The history of Piedmont Heights is rich. Long-term neighborhood residents refer to it as Atlanta's first neighborhood. Now, as the urban core of Atlanta develops and densifies, Piedmont Heights is faced with opportunities - and challenges - amidst a changing city landscape.

The master plan update featured various engagement opportunities for Piedmont Heights community members. Feedback generated through engagement was foundational for this planning process, as the entire project itself was initiated and driven by neighborhood volunteers. Open engagement opportunities fell into two categories: in-person events and online surveys.

A Master Plan Steering Committee was created to guide the work of the master plan. The Master Plan Steering Committee met consistently to review community input, planning concepts, and the final recommendations of the master plan. The committee was made up of a wide representation of the community including residents, business owners, and commercial property owners.

The PHCA has several stated goals for the updated neighborhood master plan, including:

  • Slowing down vehicular traffic through the neighborhood

  • Improving neighborhood infrastructure to prevent future flooding and to create safer street intersections.

  • Providing improved biking and walking connections from the neighborhood to nearby destinations.

  • Creating opportunities for local businesses to continue to grow and thrive while mitigating negative impacts on the neighborhood.

  • Providing new infrastructure to communicate and celebrate neighborhood identity.

  • Providing a variety of housing options, including a diversity of sizes, costs, and owner and renter options throughout the neighborhood.

The updated neighborhood plan (in its draft phase as of April 2024) will include several short-term, ongoing, and long-term recommendations for Piedmont Heights, including transportation, land use, open space, urban design, quality of life, and historic and cultural recommendations.

Please continue to check back for updates and the publishing of the final 2024 Piedmont Heights Master Plan this Spring.

 

PROJECT PARTNERS

Questions? Reach out to Georgia Conservancy’s Luben Raytchev at lraytchev@gaconservancy.org or Michaela Master at mmaster@gaconservancy.org