City of Brookhaven Implementation Plan for Linking Buford Highway Redevelopment with the Peachtree Creek Greenway

Abstract

This project reflects the extended work of a Georgia Institute for Technology studio class from the School of City and Regional Planning. With the guidance of Gary Cornell, FAICP, and in direct communication with the City of Brookhaven, the team of twelve students identified gaps, issues, and opportunities for improving the private and public realms along the convergence of Buford Highway and North Fork Peachtree Creek Greenway. Although many plans have been written that include this area, no official small area plan has been written for the character area that addresses the specific issues faced in this corridor. The study area was decided on based on the character area identified in the City of Brookhaven Comprehensive Plan. The study area is portrayed in the maps shown here. It contains all property along Buford Highway in the City of Brookhaven lying between the city limits of Atlanta beginning at Shady Brook Road, and the city limits of Chamblee beginning east of Clairmont Road – a distance of about three miles. Additional property is included between Clairmont Road and I-85 to include the property along the banks of the North Fork of the Peachtree Creek. The purpose of this document is to provide a guiding vision for the planned transformation of Buford Highway corridor of Brookhaven. Through reading previous plans, speaking with city officials, stakeholders, and citizens, and analyzing available data, we have identified issues and opportunities for improving quality of life, placemaking, and environmental conditions. We have proposed recommendations for the city to consider that address priority issues based on current literature, suggestions from stakeholders, and examples of other cities across the United States.