In Metro Atlanta, for every one acre of tree canopy lost, one acre of impervious surface was gained in the 16-county Atlanta metro region between 1991 and 2005.  This statistic is up from a 2001 study that illustrated for every two acres of tree canopy lost, only one acre of urban development replaced the forested land.  ARC, Georgia Conservancy and The Trust for Public Land are working to develop a regional strategy to protect greenspace and provide support and assistance to those working on greenspace acquisition and protection in the 20-county Atlanta area.

Greenspace Tools

The Green Infrastructure Toolkit

The Green Infrastructure Toolkit (PDF) helps provide a better understanding of greenspace and its benefits, outlines a common language to discuss acquisition and preservation, suggests steps to create a local greenspace strategy, presents tools available to acquire and preserve greenspace, offers references and resources and emphasizes the need to work regionally to encourage successful, long-term protection of metro Atlanta’s remaining natural systems.

Video - "Greenspace"

Protected Land Inventory and Database

The Protected Lands Inventory and Database catalogues existing parks and greenspace in the 20-county Atlanta area through the coordination with local governments and other entities that own or manage greenspace in the region. The inventory and database can be viewed through a greenspace mapping Web site that allows users to search for parks, greenspace and publicly accessible properties in any part of the 20-county area.

Green Infrastructure Priorities Map

The Green Infrastructure Priorities Map (PDF) identifies areas in the region that could have conservation value with a regional network of protected greenspace. The map is a graphic illustration of potential priority areas that will be refined through feedback from stakeholders in the region.