Two years ago, my husband and I relocated to metro Atlanta so that I could join the Buckhead office of my law firm. When it came time to purchase a house, we made an unusual decision (at least compared to our friends): we moved from inside the perimeter (ITP) to Roswell. We were charmed by the historic Canton Street, the numerous trails, and the rich sense of community. Roswell is not just a suburb of Atlanta, but a city with its own history and character. There are numerous opportunities near our house, including art galleries, historic house tours, festivals, weekly farmers’ markets, ghost tours and riverside concerts. So when I first met with the Young Gamechangers in January, I could not help but think about what had led me to choose the OTP side of the ITP versus OTP debate. Without a doubt, the answer was clear: I wanted to live somewhere that offered all of the cultural benefits of the city, but in an area with its own unique identity.
Georgia Forward’s Young Gamechangers Program brings together individuals from various fields across the state: from elected officials, city planners or architects, to local government and zoning attorneys such as myself. My group was tasked to answer one question: “As a growing county in the metro Atlanta region, how can the community align their arts and cultural offerings to attract and retain Generation X and millennials?” This is a challenge that is not unique to Douglasville and Douglas County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, millennials now represent more than one quarter of the nation’s population and are more diverse than any of the generations preceding them. When it comes to Generation X and millennials, numerous studies have confirmed that the trend is for them to live, work, and play in urban areas. Walkability, art, and outdoor activities rank high among millennials’ wish lists. So how can the areas OTP compete? The challenge was not easy.
To come up with our recommendations, my group pooled our resources. And as result of our combined efforts, we came up with three proposals to help highlight the existing assets of Douglas County and use art and culture to take them to the next level. For example, one of our proposals is to create a “Creativity Corridor” in Downtown Douglasville anchored by three existing structures and a proposed future mixed-use development (potentially by repurposing an old county jail). The Creativity Corridor will create a destination in downtown Douglasville and strengthen the existing businesses downtown through the installation of art fixtures, outdoor galleries, and rotating art exhibits. Furthermore, the Creativity Corridor will serve as an “outdoor living room,” to help create a sense of community in a central location of Douglasville.
There is no question that art and culture can promote economic development. However, our group hopes to achieve more than that: to help a community find its own identity, based on its own sense of history, and install that sense of civic pride among the next generation of professionals.
About the Author
