GAI Consultant’s Community Solutions group lead a comprehensive team to prepare the City of Atlanta Parks and Recreation Master Plan, in support of their CAPRA* Re-Accreditation process. The plan was branded as “Activate ATL” by the project team, as a call to transform the parks and recreation system to one of the most successful and dynamic systems in the nation. The high-level comprehensive master plan laid out the department mission, vision, goals, and action plan following an in-depth evaluation of the existing conditions of the parks and recreation system, population growth, and nationwide trends that impact Atlanta.

The project was supported by a team that included contributions from local nonprofits tsuch as Park Pride that provided exceptional resources that bolstered the ability to facilitate an equitable public input process with diverse in-person and on-line techniques. This assisted our team in delving deep into the neighborhood level throughout the City during the challenging COVID19 Pandemic of 2020-21 when the bulk of the work was completed. The result was a prioritized, attainable vision through the year 2030 and beyond, rooted in the belief that great parks and recreation systems make great cities.