Newnan Downtown Awarded ‘Great Places in Georgia’ By the Georgia Planning
Association (GPA)
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11/5/09
Whether helping kids get to school safely, planning for
inevitable growth or making a serious effort to “go green,”
communities all over Georgia were recently recognized at the
Georgia Planning Association’s awards ceremony. Newnan’s
downtown was selected as the inaugural recipient of this year’s
“Great Places in Georgia” award.
The
2009 GPA Chapter Awards were given to plans and projects that
showed innovation, transferability, quality, effectiveness of
implementation, public participation, technology, equity and
sustainability. In addition to the basic planning awards,
a new category was created to recognize “great places” in
Georgia. The award was established to showcase communities
that emphasize a live, work and play environment, safety,
conservation, accessibility, and community involvement.
“This
is a great honor for our City,” said Planning Director Tracy
Dunnavant. “It shows that Newnan has managed to preserve
its past while continuing to meet the needs of the future.
It’s an award that could only be achieved through the efforts of
the community as a whole.”
GPA
citied several factors that contributed to downtown Newnan being
selected as a “Great Place in Georgia”. Those factors included:
Downtown being defined by its history, strong sense of place and
engaged community; The antebellum architecture that remains
intact in the downtown area; The wide variety of mixed uses in
downtown including retail, restaurants, offices, industrial and
public uses; The commitment of the City and County governments
to keeping their administrative offices downtown; and Newnan’s
selection as Georgia’s representative for This Old House’s
Best Old House Neighborhoods for 2009.
Other
winners of the 2009 GPA Chapter Awards were:
·
Chattahoochee County Safe Routes to School,
Outstanding Planning Process Small Community
·
West
Bay Street Hudson Hill Study,
Outstanding Planning Process Large Community
·
Oakwood 2030 The Shape of Life to Come,
Outstanding Planning Document Small Community
·
Gwinnett County 2030 Unified Plan,
Outstanding Planning Document Large Community
·
The
Westobou Vision, Augusta, GA and North Augusta, SC Urban Area
2009 Master Plan,
Outstanding Planning Document Large Community Honorable Mention
·
Warm
Springs Road Bicycle and Pedestrian Trail, Columbus,
Outstanding Plan Implementation –
·
Zoning
Handbook, Columbus,
Outstanding Educational Tool
·
Regional Snapshots, Atlanta Regional Commission,
Outstanding Educational Tool Honorable Mention
·
Green
Communities Program, Atlanta Regional Commission,
Outstanding Initiatives/Special Projects
·
Sustainable Fellwood, Savannah,
Outstanding Initiatives/Special Projects
·
Comprehensive Transportation Plan Program, Atlanta Regional
Commission,
Outstanding Initiatives/Special Projects Honorable Mention
·
Georgia Tech Community Development Planning Studio on the
English Avenue Neighborhood,
Outstanding Student Project
·
One
Town, One Goal, Thomaston Mill Neighborhood, Griffin,
Grassroots Initiative
The
Georgia Planning Association (GPA) has provided resources and
services to planners and communities for more than three
decades, offering education, legislative support, the Community
Planning Institute and other resources. Each year, GPA rewards
local communities and regional commissions for their work to
make Georgia a better place to live. The Georgia Planning
Association presents its Chapter Awards at its fall conference. |
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