Georgia Hill Country A Case Study For Stopping Sprawl

Planners and environmentalists are hopefully that the use of transfer development rights (TDR) in the Chattahoochee Hill Country south of Atlanta can serve as a model for land conservation efforts nationwide.

1 minute read

July 31, 2007, 8:00 AM PDT

By Christian Madera @http://www.twitter.com/cpmadera


"Trella Dickerson, 70, is something of a celebrity here: She's the first person in Georgia to sell development rights to her property -- only to guarantee that it won't be developed.

Now she's trying to persuade others to make similar deals as part of a years-long effort to preserve the last major green space in sprawling metropolitan Atlanta.

Last September, Dickerson sold to a conservancy "land bank" the development rights to part of the 17 acres she and her ex-husband bought in 1988. Any developer that later buys Dickerson's development rights from the land bank actually will be pledging not to develop her property. In return, the developer would be permitted to construct houses elsewhere in the community.

She owns the property, lives there and gets the tax benefits, but she and subsequent owners cannot build on it."

"The concept is called transfer of development rights (TDR) and is a critical part of preserving 65,000 acres called the Chattahoochee Hill Country. Only 30 minutes south of Atlanta's airport, its forests and rolling hills are a world apart from the ever-expanding city.

The Chattahoochee Hill Country effort is being tracked by environmentalists nationally to see if the TDR concept, which had rarely been tried in the South and never in Georgia, can work here."

Monday, July 30, 2007 in USA Today via Builder Online

View form second story inside Southdale Mall in Edina, Minnesota with escalators and model cars parked on downstairs floor.

The Mall Is Dead — Long Live the Mall

The American shopping mall may be closer to its original vision than ever.

March 21, 2024 - Governing

View of Austin, Texas skyline with river in foreground during morning golden hour.

The Paradox of American Housing

How the tension between housing as an asset and as an essential good keeps the supply inadequate and costs high.

March 26, 2024 - The Atlantic

Houston, Texas skyline.

Report: Las Vegas, Houston Top List of Least Affordable Cities

The report assesses the availability of affordable rental units for low-income households.

March 22, 2024 - Urban Edge

Aerial view of Anchorage, Alaska downtown with mountains in background at golden hour.

Anchorage Leaders Debate Zoning Reform Plan

Last year, the city produced the fewest new housing units in a decade.

6 hours ago - Anchorage Daily News

Young man in wheelchair crossing zebra crosswalk.

How to Protect Pedestrians With Disabilities

Public agencies don’t track traffic deaths and injuries involving disabled people, leaving a gap in data to guide safety interventions.

7 hours ago - Governing

Aerial view of mountain town of Steamboat Springs, Colorado in the winter with snow at dusk.

Colorado Town Fills Workforce Housing Need With ‘Dorm-Style’ Housing

Median rent in Steamboat Springs is $4,000 per month.

March 28 - CBS News

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.