The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) recently kicked off a new initiative to include the voices of groups that may have been under represented in planning for the future of the extended metro area.
More than 130 people age 18-35 came together for the kickoff of the ARC Millennial Advisory Panel. The newly formed group represents the next generation of residents who will live and work in the Atlanta region. ARC is in the process of developing a framework plan to guide many aspects of the Atlanta region’s evolution through the year 2040. The long-range plan will focus on three broad issues, intended to “win the future” – world class infrastructure, innovation economy and healthy, livable communities. During the next few months, the ARC Millennial Advisory Panel will research, discuss and formulate policy recommendations to the ARC board related to these three topics.
Co-chairing the ARC Millennial Advisory Panel are ARC board members, Brant Aden, CEO of Foresite Group; and Amol Naik, public policy and government relations senior counsel at Google.
“We were overwhelmed at the response of the more than 300 applicants to our invitation to participate in this advisory panel,” Aden said. “We have now assembled a diverse and talented group of 135 young voices from throughout the 10-county Atlanta region and are expecting great things.”
Millennials represent about 25 percent of the region’s population, more than the Baby Boomers. ARC research during the last two years has confirmed that this group wants to be involved in regional issues, but that they are looking for different ways to engage. National surveys show young adults are keen on developing more options when it comes to transportation, housing, work and more.
The Millennial Advisory Panel is the first effort of an ARC effort called New Voices, undertaken to more fully engage groups within the region who may have been under represented in planning for the region’s future. In addition to Millennials, later this year ARC will launch an effort to better engage Global Atlanta, focusing on outreach to the growing number of ethnic and foreign populations residing in Metro Atlanta.
