Sometime during 2015, the number of Americans in the age group called Millennials will exceed Baby Boomers. Millennials will shape the culture, form and success of our communities in a profound way.
They are the generation born from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s. The Pew Research Center declares them the most ethnically and racially diverse cohort in the nation’s history. They are better educated than any generation before them and have never known life outside the digital era.
For the Atlanta Regional Commission, the regional planning agency for the 10-county Atlanta region, it’s an imperative to engage residents in this 18-to-35 age group.
A couple of years ago through its New Voices initiative, ARC began engaging Millennials by conducting interviews and hosting community conversations with a broad cross-section throughout the Atlanta region. Our goals are to engage, listen and understand.
First, we hope to understand specifically how they are different from previous generations. Second, we want to hear what they want for metro Atlanta today and in the future. Last, we need to learn just how they would like to be involved in helping shape the region.
What we have learned so far is promising and somewhat concerning. This generation knows the language of smart growth – livable, walkable/bikeable, mixed-use communities. They want to live in places that reflect these traits, be it urban or suburban settings. They see transportation solutions, especially transit, as important drivers of where they will choose to live in the future. They are unencumbered by barriers or silos; in fact they see no reason for any OTP/ ITP comparisons.
However, this group, sometimes called “the microwave generation,” has more expectation for immediacy and responsiveness. Herein lies the concern: If Millennials don’t find what they want in metro Atlanta, now or in the near future, they will move to places that offer these qualities, whether they have a job or not. We have limited time to attract and retain these diverse, well-educated and committed leaders.
What we have learned so far from New Voices is just the beginning. Recently, we held the first gathering of ARC’s first Millennial Advisory Panel, a group of 135 leaders from the 10-county region. More than 300 Millennials applied to be a part of this panel; the response and interest has been overwhelming.
The charge of ARC’s Millennial Advisory Panel is two-fold. First, it’s to help ARC shape The Region’s Plan, the long-range regional plan to “Win the Future,” to be adopted in 2016. The panel will examine and provide ideas to build a world-class infrastructure, an innovation economy and healthy, livable communities. Their second charge is to bring other Millennials into these discussions.
If we want to thrive and grow as a region, we need Millennials to join many other voices at the policy and design table. Target destinations that create a sense of place, energy and opportunity for this generation will be the winning regions of the future.
