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the altamaha initiative:
spring 2001
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Twenty years ago, the Georgia legislature established the "downtown development authority" (DDA) as a primary local agency for facilitating the revitalization of downtown business districts in the state. The legislature sought to address the economic well-being of the state. While this legislative mandate, now codified in the OCGA, appears to be nondiscretionary, a substantial number of Georgia municipalities have not established DDAs. Our group believes DDA revitalization represents a significant opportunity to efficiently address environmental concerns. We hope to contribute via "revitalizing the revitalization", to breathe some life into Georgia's DDA mandate, while at the same time, advancing eco-friendly and watershed friendly ideals. Unfortunately, no substantive "green" guidance exists even for the proportionately small number of successful, operating DDAs. At least for 41 Georgia counties, those eligible for state money through the new Greenspace initiative, the time is right to consider green strategies for smart growth, urban revitalization and conservation. Our goal is to create an environmental training module for the Georgia Municipal Association, which should be based in part on our research in Macon, to be used in conjunction with their existing training materials. We plan to use the carrot of Greenspace money to publicize the module (and the DDA itself) as a method of achieving smart growth/Greenspace goals. STATEMENT OF NEED The Georgia Municipal Authority and the BOS recognize that a Downtown Development Authority is essential in contributing to the redevelopment of a downtown core. In the hopes of supporting the creation and sustained existence of DDAs throughout Georgia, the current manual and training procedures should be evaluated to incorporate an environmental module. This module will propose innovative approaches to sustainable downtown development (be it easements, swaps, etc.) This need has been recognized by P.Cassity (UGA, School of Environmental Design) and Linda Wilkes (GMA). Macons's Urban Development Authority (the taxing/improvement authority) is well-established and should serve as an excellent testing ground for the development of this environmental/education module. Contact the Macon-Bibb Group. |
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