Livable Buckhead Creates Sustainability Plan

ATLANTA, GA -- Livable Buckhead and more than 30 leaders have collaborated to create a sustainability plan for Buckhead, developing a hyperlocal course of action that dovetails with city, state, national and even global efforts to improve sustainability. The organization said the Buckhead Strategic Sustainability Action Plan establishes ambitious goals designed to accelerate the community's environmental, economic and social sustainability over the next three years.

The plan is being released just months after United Nations climate scientists issued a report warning that significant greenhouse gas emissions reduction is required within the next dozen years to prevent the worst effects of climate change. The Buckhead sustainability plan is aligned with 29 of the targets outlined within the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals, and will be a model for hyperlocal implementation of strategies that improve sustainability at the community level while contributing to global efforts to combat climate change.

“Buckhead has quietly been working on sustainability for years,” said Denise Starling, executive director of Livable Buckhead. “We’ve added 37 acres of greenspace, brought more than 19 million square feet of commercial office space into the Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge, and we work with 182 Buckhead employers and 37 office buildings to get their employees out of their cars every day, just to name a few accomplishments. The sustainability action plan synthesizes these efforts and charts a course for us to follow during the next three years.”

The Buckhead Strategic Sustainability Action Plan outlines implementation approaches in eight areas: water, health and wellness, greenspace, energy, waste, culture of sustainability, mobility, and arts and culture. Goals encompass a broad range of programs and activities, including placing an electric vehicle charger within a mile of everyone in Buckhead, making PATH400 energy net positive by adding renewable energy infrastructure, and creating incentives to encourage the development of housing that is affordable for the local workforce.

Livable Buckhead said the plan also dovetails with the city of Atlanta’s work to improve its resilience as part of the 100 Resilient Cities Network.

Livable Buckhead is a nonprofit organization that strives to ensure the long-term viability and prosperity of the Buckhead community. The organization achieves its mission by working cooperatively with individuals, public entities and private businesses to integrate sustainable strategies. Livable Buckhead implements programs related to greenspace, recycling, energy efficiency, commute alternatives, arts and culture, real estate development and land use. For more information about Livable Buckhead and its programs, visit livablebuckhead.org.

(For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here.)

Image Livable Buckhead