Spring Conference Session Proposals

DUE JANUARY 16th

Regular conference sessions will be one hour and fifteen minutes long. GPA is also providing a few sessions this year that are three hours in length reserved for focused topics requiring more in-depth coverage and discussion.
(download session proposal form)

Become a GPA 2009 Sponsor

The GPA is gearing up for its 2009 sponsorship campaign and wants to give renewing and new sponsors a chance to see our exciting new sponsorship products and levels. Please feel free to contact Laura Keyes, GPA Chapter Services, via email if your company is interested in becoming a GPA 2009 annual sponsor.
(download sponsorship form)

Resilient Cities and Green Urbanism Lecture

GA Tech City and Regional Planning & the GPA present Resilient Cities: Responding to Peak Oil and Climate Change, a lecture by Peter Newman & Tim Beatley

For more information contact: City and Regional Planning Program at (404) 894-2350

Planner's Luncheon

North Georgia -
GPA Planners Luncheon
“Historic Preservation Beyond Downtown” on February 11, 2009
(read more)

Planner's Book Club

In a precedent-setting landslide, the book The Concrete Dragon by Thomas Campanella received nearly all votes for our next book club discussion. Now you will have something to spend your bookstore gift cards on. Tentatively plan on meeting on Monday, January 26 at 7 pm to discuss. Location: TBD. Please contact Kristen Wescott at kristen_wescott@urscorp.com or 678-808-8830 for more information. Please continue to check the GPA Calendar for an official time and meeting place.

GPA Member Info!

Don’t risk missing out on important information from the GPA & APA. Please make sure APA has your current contact information. You must make all changes to your contact information on the APA Website. GPA is not able to update contact information.

2009 GPA Spring Conference

The GPA 2009 Spring Conference will feature two days of professional planning training. The City of Canton offers a traditional small town atmosphere along with benefits of being located in a metropolitan area. The conference will be held at the Northside Hospital Cherokee Conference Center at 1130 Bluffs Parkway, Canton, GA 30114 (off of I-575).

The Conference includes several focused training sessions, professional certification credits, industry exhibitors, mobile workshops, professional networking and keynote presentations on current planning issues.  

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City of Canton websites:

http://www.cantongeorgia.com/

http://www.discoverourtown.com/GA/Canton/Organizations-1498.html

http://www.cherokeechamber.com/newcomers.htm

District 2 – Evolving Approach to Tourism in Northeastern Georgia

submitted by Adam Hazell, AICP, District 2 Director

We all want folks to come to our towns and spend their money. In the absence of industrial growth it is even more important for communities to lure visitors to support local service operations and the economy as a whole. Today, more communities are revaluating their attempts to draw tourism by adjusting to the new economy, changes in travel habits and the impact of modern technology. Fewer households are taking longer vacations and distant trips, but they are spending more time traveling to nearby locations that provide unique experiences within easy driving distances. This has resulted in a new tack for tourist development: Communities seeking regional tourists through a collection of smaller amenities as opposed to one large attraction.

At the forefront of this trend is Dawsonville, which years ago tried to capitalize on the City’s auto racing heritage with the 40,000 sf Thunder Road Museum. Despite a strong collection of NASCAR memorabilia and interactive exhibits, the attraction struggled and eventually closed for being too specialized, too remote and/or too small to sustain itself. Today Dawsonville is taking a more comprehensive approach that will incorporate revitalization of the historic downtown, efforts to concentrate commercial uses and the creation of new trails and park space. The City has also renovated part of the museum for a new City Hall while reopening the rest of the facility as the new Georgia Racing Hall of Fame and Museum. Dawsonville now hopes to foster a pedestrian scale downtown that connects both the historic core and the museum site. The form is primarily oriented towards local businesses and consumers but will allow greater opportunities for commercial sustainability, and that will in turn help Dawsonville develop a unique and deeper character capable of attracting and supporting visitors.

There is growing desire among remote communities, especially those within the mountains and lakes, to attract visitors looking for more alternatives. Cities like Toccoa, Hiawassee, Clayton and Hartwell have invested in revitalizing their downtowns as commercial destinations while also fostering more cultural events, such as art showsand public markets, to help attract visitors. Lavonia and Franklin County debuted the new play “Land of Spirit” to celebrate local culture and folk life, while a slave cabin is being restored as part of a new museum and heritage center near Sautee Nacoochee. Outdoor recreation remains popular, as well, as many shops catering to hiking, hunting, fishing and biking were successful even in tough times. Often these businesses can attract tourists, as well, through word of mouth and cross promotion to their core customer base throughout the region.

This concept of tying into your regional identity has helped with the creation of two new tourism routes in the area. The Folk Potters Trail was one of two local tourism routes in Georgia recognized in a recent National Geographic magazine feature about the Appalachians. This route runs from Gainesville to Sautee Nacoochee, passing by many local shops, artists’ studios and folk art museums. Similarly, the Georgia Wine Highway winds from Clayton to Young Harris and downward to Braselton, passing by or near 10 of the 12 wineries and vineyards in the region. Along each path these routes connect several smaller towns that otherwise see little tourism while providing enough of an attraction through volume that individually was lacking among many communities. By building on a regional theme, these communities were able to work together in creating an attraction for visitors and locals alike. The power of the internet also helps in promoting tourism possibilities to a wider audience and with greater detail.

All types of communities can find ways to increase their appeal to tourists with a proper marketing and development plan. Specialty tourism can succeed when general commerce is available with an attraction, allowing communities to better retain casual, short-term visitors. It is possible to promote a regional brand or interest, thereby making smaller attractions into something larger. Focused efforts to attract such tourism typically yield communities that are more appealing for local residents as well, by creating local amenities and adding to the economy.

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Planner's Toolbox

Links to websites for the cities and places mentioned in this month's GPA district highlight.

City of Dawsonville
City of Toccoa
City of Hiawassee
City of Clayton
City of Hartwell
Sautee Nacoochee Nature Center
Folk Potter’s Trail

Calendar of Events

January 23 :: Resilient Cities and Green Urbanism Lecture
January 26 - 27 :: Complete Management Course For Planning Directors
January 27 :: Sustainable Urbanism Webinar (CM | 2.00)

February 4 - 5 :: Reinventing Retail Mixed Use
February 11 :: North Georgia GPA Planners Luncheon
February 11 -12 :: FTA Real Estate Requirements Class

Visit the GPA Calendar of Events website page for a full listing...