Recap: Bowen Choice Neighborhood Community Workshop

Thank you to all the community members who dedicated their time to attend our open houses during the Bowen Choice Neighborhood Community Workshop! A special thank you to Dr. Carson and the staff at Springfield Missionary Baptist Church, who graciously hosted our 3-day event.

Originally envisioned as an in-person and interactive event, we adjusted the workshop to a hybrid virtual and in-person event due to an increase in COVID-19 cases in early January. Two open houses were offered online via Zoom and in-person to allow community members to see and provide input on progress made during the design sessions. Design work throughout the workshop focused on the Bowen site, Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway and James Jackson Parkway. We heard great ideas regarding community needs such as grocery stores, resource centers, and a mix of housing types that allows for deep affordability. Access to parks, better transit and walkability were also a high priority for participants.

Open House #1 provided an overview of the engagement and analysis results over the last year, as well as the results of the first day of the workshop. The design team and Atlanta Housing presented an overall site design for the Bowen site, block designs showing different arrangements of housing types and options, and an approach to parks and storm water management that provides beautiful and usable green spaces throughout the site.

Open House #2 included a robust description of the Choice Neighborhood program, Atlanta Housing’s intent to apply for a Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant, how to get involved in ongoing engagement efforts, and the final results of the workshop.

Major outcomes of the workshop included a refined, overall design for the Bowen site with a mix of housing options, retail, and community-serving institutions. Expanded usable green spaces and parks that also serve storm water management; multiple concept designs for Donald Lee Hollowell and James Jackson Parkways to make them safer streets; and ideas for trails and environmental remediation throughout the Choice Neighborhood.

Replays of the design workshop are available through the hyperlinks above. Links to the slideshow and additional graphics from the open houses can be found in the document library.

We are excited to continue the design work and collaborate with community members and former residents. If you’d like to be involved in the next year of engagement you can do so by joining a focus group, the Resident Advisory Committee, and / or join the Doing While Planning group. Email us at bowenchoiceneighborhood@atlantahousing.org for more information.