Study Tenets

Plagued by high rush-hour traffic counts, constant congestion, land planning unfriendly to pedestrians, and single-use developments, the TCA CID has historically pursued individual projects to mitigate negative impacts caused by intensive and extensive commercial development. The TCA CID is now seeking to restructure its development patterns and transportation projects to promote a healthier economic, social, and environmental climate. The proposed LCI study will help to identify specific projects and policies that will enhance the area and provide a model for the region. The purpose of this project is to focus and coordinate a number of recent initiatives to redefine, redevelop, and reconnect the TCA core area with the rest of the community by providing the appropriate design guidelines that promote multimodal choice, thus meeting each of the LCI goals and promoting a more compact, livable town center.

A more diverse population is needed to continue the area’s economic growth and success. The proposed LCI study will be designed to encourage a diversity of medium- to high-density, mixed-income neighborhoods, employment, shopping, and recreation choices within the TCA. A number of new residential projects encourage a diversity of medium- to high-density, mixed-income neighborhoods, employment, shopping, and recreation choices at the activity center level, including an AMLI mixed-use development, Ridenour, and Shiloh Valley. Each of these projects begins to address the needs of the employment crunch in the area; however, these projects are not sufficient for the level of development in the area. A shortage of housing opportunities in this area remains, as evidenced by reverse commuting patterns from Smyrna and south Cobb County. One of the study goals for the TCA is to provide a live-work-play environment. By reviewing existing development patterns and policies that shape these housing patterns, the TCA CID will be able to identify the barriers and incentives necessary to promote a more balanced housing mix within the activity center.

An additional goal of the LCI study is to increase accessibility, mobility, and connectivity for current and future residents and employees within the TCA. This can be accomplished by providing access to a range of travel modes, including transit, roadways, walking, and biking, to enable access to all uses within the study area. The proposed study will assess land uses, transportation infrastructure, and design elements as essential components for promoting transportation alternatives. One of the most important aspects of this study is a review of land use policy around the proposed transit station area. Results from this study will identify transit-supportive policies and tools to implement appropriate land use policies. The land use criteria must also be harmonious to livable-place principles, namely: comfort and image, uses and activities of the center, sociability, access and linkages using pedestrian site planning, and the expansion of pedestrian facilities. In addition, each of these modes of transportation will need to be integrated to maximize the use of each mode.

Linking higher density residential communities to large, relatively dense mixed-use nodes and to Kennesaw State University will also be a primary goal. Mixed land uses that allow workers and residents to complete errands without automobiles, well-designed facilities, pedestrian-oriented facilities, and other transit-sensitive site planning can be just as important in making transit work as the amount and density of development.

The connectivity of alternate modes of transportation must also be linked to preservation of greenspace. One major project currently under way, the Noonday Creek project, includes pathways along the waterway. The combination of a multiuse active recreation trail and the protection of Noonday Creek creates an aesthetically pleasing, functional, and environmentally sensitive venue. The trail travels through most of the TCA and will connect it with surrounding activity centers such as the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield and Lake Allatoona. While the Noonday Creek project is the first of its kind in relation to greenspace conservation efforts for the TCA CID, the TCA CID will use the results of the LCI study to identify other opportunities to preserve and highlight the area’s environmental assets.

As a result of the transformation to a livable center, the TCA CID will be poised to assess the degree to which any transit projects are likely to be supported by proper land use patterns and policies. This will include the current land use conditions, the future goals of the region, and the strategies in place to achieve these goals. For the value of the transit investment to be maximized, a community should have in mind a land use pattern that is consistent with the transit investment. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the review of the local government strategies and plans will be used to assess the likelihood that the transit-supportive land use patterns and design can be achieved.

The proposed LCI study will also consider alternatives such as infill, redevelopment, and new development sites with attention to their relationships to any transit project. The emphasis should be on transit-supportive land uses, densities, and design. It is critical to pursue a healthy mix of housing, office, and retail. Existing or proposed public facilities and other high transit trip producers located within the study area could potentially be well served by transit projects.

With the continued real estate development in the TCA, it is evident that the existing infrastructure is sufficient, for the time being, to attract investment. Access to I-75, I-575, and U.S. 41 are the mainstays of commercial activity. However, future development of the area is conditional on maintaining transportation accessibility and mobility. The TCA CID is concerned that without close monitoring, businesses may seek alternate locations with new infrastructure and accessibility. Businesses and residents are already feeling the constraints of automobile-oriented mobility. A number of “big box” retailers are locating in the immediate surroundings of the study area and some of these have moved from within the study area. “Big box” retailers’ penchant for short-term land occupation in search of more lucrative markets is well known. The study must address techniques and innovative solutions to retain these vital magnets in such a manner that they support the activity center. This will also aid in the reduction of additional large infrastructure projects and the utilization of existing infrastructure.

Although much of the development of the TCA has occurred in the last 10 years, some of the large retailers offer mixed-use redevelopment possibilities. Many of these “big box” stores are vacant; however, there is little incentive for property owners to redevelop. Tenants continue to pay leases on vacant stores in an effort to keep competitors out of the area. The proposed LCI study will be designed to identify those transportation investments that will increase the desirability of redeveloping land served by existing infrastructure with increased accessibility and mobility. This will allow for more consumers, thereby increasing demand for services.

Another goal of the study is to promote more efficient use of land. The current development patterns contain vast amounts of underutilized property. The LCI study will identify these areas for further development by reviewing land use, policies, existing plans, and marketing techniques. By identifying specific transportation investments, Cobb County will be more likely to implement the land use policy changes in support of the study. In addition, the TCA CID will have readily identified policies and strategies to further support the results from the LCI study.

Many Georgia towns are fortunate enough to have a historic town center, making the creation of a community identity somewhat easier. The TCA has been developed within the past few decades and does not contain a historic core. The TCA owes its origin as a regional activity center to the opening of Town Center Mall, a regional shopping center, in 1986. The mall helped change the regional perception of the area from that of a semirural community outside of Atlanta to a regional shopping destination and a bedroom community for Atlanta.

With approximately 1.2 million square feet, Town Center Mall became Atlanta’s second largest regional mall behind Lenox Mall in Buckhead. It was originally developed as a joint venture among Cadillac Fairview, D. Scott Hudgens, and Corporate Property Investors, and was bought in 1998 by Simon Properties. As with most malls, news of plans for a regional mall at I-75 and I-575 spurred plans for restaurants, ancillary strip malls, banks, hotels, “big box” retail, and a movie theater. The mall originally employed 3,000 workers, which also created interest from apartment developers who soon began building around the mall. The mall’s location at the intersection of two major interstates also helped stimulate development. The access and visibility afforded by both I-75 and I-575 were important draws for other regional retailers. The access and infrastructure were also important to the creation of business parks, both office and industrial, that are now a significant component of the TCA.

The TCA maintains a community image of a shopping, living, and working environment. However, the area’s boundaries are obscured by miles of roadways, and its image is slowly being tarnished by a reputation for traffic congestion. The proposed LCI study can help to establish clear boundaries of the TCA community center while upholding an image for living, working, and playing.

The LCI study will be geared toward developing an action plan with transportation projects and local initiatives, marketing strategies, land use/housing, and urban design policy recommendations based on a highly intensive community participation process. The transportation-related projects will not only help to increase accessibility, mobility, and connectivity, but will also provide incentives for the local government to take action supporting these types of initiatives. In addition, it is hoped that projects identified in the study will provide incentives for the types of development and redevelopment recommended in the plan. Often, property owners are prompted to improve their own properties when surrounding areas are improved. Increased transportation alternatives will provide additional incentives to develop underutilized land such as parking lots. The LCI study should identify those infrastructure incentives that will induce Cobb County to make the necessary policy actions to fully implement the plan.

ARC’s Regional Development Plan (RDP) policies will be the cornerstone of “learning sessions” throughout the LCI study process. This will increase the community’s general knowledge of the benefits and uses of these policies. It will also provide for the implementation of the RDP policies, quality growth initiatives, and best development practices in the study area, in local governments, and at the regional level.

Most plans cannot be implemented without broad community support. This LCI study process will use a tailored local planning outreach process that promotes the involvement of all stakeholders, particularly low-income, minority, and underserved populations. Stakeholders, including the ones already identified, will be involved throughout the process, will direct the other public involvement efforts, and will assist in creating goals, policies, and strategies. A special component of the public involvement will be reaching out to the daytime population of the area. Emphasis will be placed on coordinating with existing businesses and employees. Public involvement will be a major key in developing a community-based implementation program.