255 Courtland St NE, Atlanta, GA 30303

Special Public Interest Downtown Core District

The intent of the council in establishing SPI-1 as a zoning district is as follows: Preserve, protect and enhance downtown's role as the civic and economic center of the Atlanta region; Create a 24-hour urban environment where people can live, work, meet and play; Encourage the development of major commercial uses and high intensity housing that provides a range of housing opportunities for citizens within the district; Encourage a compatible mixture of residential, commercial, entertainment, cultural and recreational uses; Improve the aesthetics of street and built environments; Promote pedestrian safety by ensuring and revitalizing pedestrian-oriented buildings which create a sense of activity and liveliness along their sidewalk-level façades; Facilitate safe, pleasant, and convenient sidewalk-level pedestrian circulation that minimizes impediments by vehicles; Encourage the use of MARTA and other public transit facilities; Enhance the efficient utilization of accessible and sufficient parking facilities in an unobtrusive manner including encouraging shared parking and alternative modes of transportation; Provide safe and accessible parks and plazas for active and passive use including protecting Centennial Olympic Park as an Olympic legacy and a local and regional civic resource; Preserve and protect downtown's historic buildings and sites; Recognize the special character of Fairlie-Poplar and Terminus through the administration of specific standards and criteria consistent with the historic built environment as recognized by the inclusion of several blocks and buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.