2014 Park Pride Parks and Greenspace Conference Presenters are Denise Quarles, Stacy Funderburke and Catherine Owens

2. Atlanta BeltLine
Key Project Elements:
• 22 miles of modern streetcar
transit
• 33 miles of multi-use trails
• 1,300 acres of parks
• 5,600 units of affordable
housing
• 1,100 acres of brownfield
remediation
• Public Art
• Historic Preservation
• Economic Development

3. Full Corridor Build-Out
• Transit
• Trail
• Utility Duct Bank
• Green Infrastructure
• Connectivity to Existing
Rights-of-Way

5. Historic Fourth Ward Park and Skatepark
• 17 acres
• Opened June 2011
• 2-acre lake that doubles as stormwater capacity
relief
• Outdoor amphitheater
• Modern playground with splashpad
• Open, passive lawns
• Elegant walkways

6. Atlanta BeltLine Investments
$362 million: Total funds invested to date
• $157 million: Atlanta BeltLine Tax Allocation District (TAD)
• $121 million: City of Atlanta bond funds (Watershed, Parks, Public Works)
• $22 million: Federal (transit and trail)
• $21 million: Federal (streets and streetscapes within the TAD)
• $41 million: Private philanthropic
Awards and Accomplishments
• Livable Centers Initiative Grant ($4 million) (2012)
• Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) Grant ($1.47 million) (2012)
• Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) “Development of Excellence Award” for Historic Fourth Ward
Park (2012)
• Atlanta Business Chronicle’s “Land Deal of the Year” for the Eastside Trail (2012)
• Environmental Communications Award Grand Prize (2013)
• Atlanta Urban Design Commission “Adaptive Reuse Award” for the Eastside Trail (2013)
• Great Places in Georgia “Public Spaces” Award for D. H. Stanton Park (2011)
• Atlanta Urban Design Commission Award for Historic Fourth Ward Park (2011) and D. H. Stanton
Park (2012)
• GAASLA Merit Award For D. H. Stanton Park (2011) and Historic Fourth Ward Park (2012)
• ULI Project of the Year (2013)

7. Environmental remediation:
• 73 acres of brownfields remediated
• Environmental Justice Policy adopted by Board of Directors (August 2012)
Master Planning
• All ten subarea master plans adopted by Atlanta City Council (April 2012)

8. Eastside Trail
• 2.25 miles
• Opened October 2012
• First trail segment built in old railroad corridor
• Connects five intown neighborhoods, three major
parks, and bike paths
• Corridor preserved for transit
• Over 600 large trees planted

9. Atlanta BeltLine SW Trail:
• Next significant partnership
project
• COA, FHWA, ARC, GDOT, EPA,
EPD, ABI
• 2.5 Miles of New Trail, similar
to Eastside Trail
• Project Includes
• Remediation
• Compliance with COA Post
Development Ordinance
• Significant Landscaping
• Construction Begins Fall 2014

11. Expanding Atlanta’s
Greenspace
Land Acquisition

12. Facilitating Green Infrastructure
Best Practices
Philadelphia Peer
Exchange
City of Atlanta Green
Infrastructure Task Force
Conservation Leadership
Network

13. Engaging Communities in Green
Infrastructure

14. Seeing Multiple Benefits of a
Green Infrastructure Approach
Community Leaders Trip - Milwaukee

15. Proctor North Ave Vision
Demonstration Project
Lindsay Street Park

16. georgiatransitconnector.orgwww.AtlantaBBC.com
Citywide Sustainability Initiatives
Achievement, Momentum & The Next Four Years
Presented by Denise Quarles
March 2014

17. Impact Requires Citywide Collaboration
Today, Atlanta is advancing in sustainability through the actions of hundreds of local organizations representing
government, business, academics, non-profits and citizens. Each and every time we share our achievements and
passions, we inspire more change.
• Agreement on benchmarks, measurements & indicators
• Initiatives measured as a collective to show impact
• Action as One City, One Plan
And we have…
400+ contributed to the updated CoA sustainability plan, Power to Change

18. Citywide Action….Green Infrastructure for the Urban Community
Academia Nonprofit Atlantan
Spelman College
Water Efficient Landscaping
• 59.52% reduction in the use of
potable water for landscaping.
• 39,950 gallons savings of potable
water annually; avoiding $1,469
a year in water costs.
Residential
Potable Water System
• First installed under
rainwater ordinance.
• 49,400 gallon/50
inches rainfall
potential
Southface Energy Institute
Green Roof
• Entire building’s water savings are
an 84% overall reduction in
potable water consumption
compared to a baseline
commercial building of the same
size, saving 112,781 gallons/year.

19. Citywide Action….Green Infrastructure for the Urban Community
Business Business
Home Depot
Rainwater Holding Tank
• 500,000 gallon tank
• Landscape irrigation retro-
fits saving water too
Epsten Group
Green roof system
• 91% of sites
stormwater captured,
treated and infiltrated
on site
• LEED Platinum facility
Government
Fire Station #16
Rain Garden
• Sized to capture the first
1.2” of runoff from
stations downspouts

20. What Acts Have Changed Atlanta
In just four years…
Partial Listing of Citywide Acts of Change (2010-2013)
Imagine what we can do together tomorrow – one city, one plan
Municipal Actions Community Actions
• 67,000,000 sq ft, commercial building committed to BBC
• 15% decrease, commercial natural gas consumption
• 83% decrease, potable water use by Epsten Group Offices
• 1 – 56% savings, water use by 18 BBC participants
• 1 – 48% savings, energy use by 48 BBC participants
• Greenest LEED Platinum Building, in U.S is P+W Bldg in ATL
• 82,305 participants, in an Atlanta Streets Alive event
• 1,286 units, added to Certified Earthcraft database
• 2,000+ free, Residential energy audits completed
• 4,874 rain barrels, distributed by CRK (3.4M gal water)
• 1,000+ trees, planted by the South Fork Conservancy
• 375,000 lbs of waste, diverted by the LBC
• 100% single stream recycling, participation in APS
• 37% at GWCC, either carpool, vanpool or take MARTA
• 1500+ Weatherization Professionals, SWEET Ctr trained
• 4,364,500 lbs of pollution avoided, clean commutes
• 2M gallons, water saved annually by Manheim
• 73 acres Remediated brownfields along the Atlanta Beltline
• 60 acres greenspace, added to Atlanta Beltline
• 14.9 miles, bicycle lanes, cycle tracks & shared paths added
• 50% to 64%, is the increase in residents ½ mile walk of park
• 47%/36% energy savings, South/North Parking Deck
• 39% increase, employee clean commutes smog challenge
• 37% energy savings, over 2009 baseline at Civic Center
• 21.9% decrease, commercial natural gas consumption
• 1 solar installation, at a city park
• 100+ streetscape enhancements & improvements
• 54 CNG vehicles, added to alternative fuel portfolio
• 9,100 seedlings, planted in public spaces
• 8,100 trees, planted in public spaces
• 50 M gallons water savings/yr, WaterSense efficiencies
• 340,953 lbs of pollution avoided, from clean commutes
• 7 white cool roofs, added to building portfolio
• 10,000 hours, for city run volunteer sustainability efforts
• 2,000 volunteers, for city run cleanup efforts
• $200,000/year, being saved at the Civic Center from
conservation
• 60,000 recycle carts, distributed to residents

21. What Policy & Action has Changed Atlanta?
In just four years…
Partial Listing of Citywide Acts of Change (2010-2013)
Imagine what we can do together tomorrow – one city, one plan
Municipal Actions Community Actions
• CLEANUPS, drawing over 30,000 citizens
• 7,000+ people trained, by CRK on water conservation
• Winning Vote, to extend sales tax for sewer system retro
• 2,536 annual, clean commute loggers
• 219 +, Blocks revitalized through Love Your Block
• 39,990 pounds, of litter removed
• 23,000 trees, planted citywide
• OPENED, cities first biodiesel fueling station
• DROPPED OUT, of the top 25 most ozone polluted cities
• $200+ bicycle racks , installed in Midtown
• 10+ rainwater harvesting systems, installed by Park Pride
• 3,341 participants, residential energy efficiency w/GA Power
• 3,000 gallon, cistern installed to irrigate Midtown landscape
• Launch of $1B Green Challenge, joined by GA Tech
• INSTALLED 1st, residential potable rainwater harvesting
system
• 20% Savings, on annual energy cost w/solar Ted’s Montana
• 13.5% reduction in GHG emissions at Spelman
• PASSED, Rainwater Harvesting Ordinance
• PASSED, Revised Post-Development Stormwater
Management Ordinance
• PASSED, Ordinance to allocate $2.47M in bonds to fund
bicycle projects
• PASSED, Green revolving loan fund ordinance
• DEVELOPED, six internal new green policies
• UPDATED, Connect Atlanta Plan
• COMPLETED, Southeastern EV Readiness Workbook
• RATED Highest Airport, B+ U.S. Global Reporting Initiative
• COMPLETED First Climate Action Plan, for City of Atlanta
• CERTIFIED, 1 LEED Gold/2 LEED Silver facilities
• REVISED, HOME/CDBG to incentive green projects
• OFFERED, Green Grant Program for Housing Developers
• Formed, Atlanta’s Green Infrastructure Task Force
• PILOT, Brownfield Area-wide Planning Pilot Program
• RESTORED 12, ball field lighting at 12 parks
• REDUCED Collections, from 7 to 1 with bigbelly solar

22. Faith Based Sustainability Actions
St Luke’s Episcopal Church
• MVP award in the better buildings challenge
• $9000 grant from GIPL to upgrade lighting (2014)
• Projected to save $4k a year….on top of the $47k
Young Israel of Toco Hills
• Building a new building and they have a goal of
becoming the first EarthCraft certified synagogue
in the country
• Planning to install solar & permeable pavers,
All Saints
• Hosted the first zero waste and 100 mile parish picnic.
• Majority of the food at the event came from Atlanta,
nothing they served came from farther than 100 miles.
Benefit to citywide efforts
• Clean tech jobs
• Reduction in carbon
emissions
• Renewable energy
• Zero waste
• Green building certifications
• Leadership position

23. Solar Energy Quietly Transforming The Landscape
• LARGEST full service solar integrator in the Southeast, Hannah Solar
• HEADQUARTERED in Atlanta
• FIRST solar energy tree structure in the state of Georgia
• NET ZERO operated facility
National Leverage
Benefit to citywide
efforts
• 2 EV chargers
• 3 EV’s in fleet
• 23 Clean tech jobs
• 254 Solar rooftop modules
• Georgia is the fastest growing solar market in the US
• Georgia ranks 7th nationally in solar electric capacity

24. What Grows Momentum in the Next Four Years?
• Triple alternative fuel infrastructure …. by adding more EV chargers, CNG stations etc.
• Double bike lanes and trials … by investing in more infrastructure.
• Improve surface water quality….by increased green stormwater management
• Reduce 1M llbs in CO2 from CNG fleet … by collective fleet enhancements
• Improve residential diversion rate….by better informing our residents
• Expand zero waste zones…by more businesses signing up for the challenge
• Grow our community garden network …by passing Urban Ag legislation
• Increase our clean tech portfolio…by attracting new businesses
• And much more….
Four More Years of Green…
Acting as one city, under one plan.
What we will achieve … by acting together

25. georgiatransitconnector.orgwww.AtlantaBBC.com