Atlanta Regional Commission

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The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is the regional planning and intergovernmental coordination agency for the Atlanta, Georgia, region, as defined as a 10-county area including Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale counties, as well as the City of Atlanta. It also serves as the Metropolitan Planning Organization for 19 counties in the Atlanta Region.

ARC and its predecessor agencies have coordinated the planning efforts in the region since 1947, when the first publicly-supported, multi-county planning agency in the United States was created. At that time, the Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) served DeKalb and Fulton counties and the City of Atlanta. Since then, ARC membership has grown to its current size of 10 counties and 63 municipalities.

The ARC is funded through a number of sources: local, state and federal government entities and private funds.

[edit] Membership

The Board membership of the commission includes: 1) each county commission chairman in the 10-county region; 2) one mayor from each county (except Fulton County); 3) one mayor from the northern half of Fulton County and one mayor from the southern half of Fulton County; 4) the mayor of the City of Atlanta; 5) one member of the Atlanta City Council; 6) fifteen private citizens, one from each of the 15 multi-jurisdictional districts of roughly equal population, elected by the 23 public officials; and 7) one member appointed by the Board of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.

[edit] Agency structure and functions

The ARC is divided into numerous departments, covering a broad range of issues, from the region's growing senior population to region-wide transit issues to GIS data. The agency's structure and functions can be oulined as follows:

  • Office of the Director
  • Communications: Communications Services, Community Involvement, Graphic Services, Information Center, Marketing, Media Relations, ARC Web site, MARC Youth Leadership Program (Model Atlanta Regional Commission)
  • Community Services: Aging Services, Georgia Region 3 Advisory Council, Governmental Services, LINK Program (Leadership, Involvement, Networking, Knowledge), RLI (Regional Leadership Institute), Workforce Development
  • Comprehensive Planning: ARC Review Processes, Data Research, Environmental Planning, Land Use Planning, Transportation Demand Management, Transportation Planning
  • Support Services: Accounting, ARIS (Atlanta Region Information System), Budget, Contracts and Grants Administration, Facilities Management, GIS (Geographic Information Systems), Human Resources, Information Technology, Purchasing

[edit] Awards

Each fall ARC give awards for noteworthy new projects. The categories are

  • Development of Excellence which usually goes to large projects like a redone town square
  • Exceptional Merit for Context Sensitive Neighborhood Infill Design
  • Exceptional Merit for Historic Preservation
  • Exceptional Merit for Infill Redevelopment
  • Livable Centers Initiative Achievement Award
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