In 2007 ARC launched the Lifelong Communities initiative in collaboration with county-based stakeholder groups in the Atlanta region. In 2009, to illustrate what a Lifelong Community would look like, ARC hosted a nine-day Lifelong Communities Charrette, or design workshop, in partnership with Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company. The charrette brought together experts to examine how Atlanta area communities could become places where people of all ages and abilities can live as long as they would like. Six charrette sites were chosen to provide diversity of location and conditions.
Since 2009, ARC has continued to work with partners to incorporate Lifelong Community principles in additional locations in the Atlanta region. These partnership sites are adopting innovative policies and programming to transform their communities into lifelong communities.