Residents Step Into Leadership Roles in Peachtree City Program

What happens when everyday residents are asked to build a city—and then run it?

That’s exactly what participants in Peachtree City’s PTC 101 program experienced during two recent sessions, where residents moved from designing infrastructure to sitting in the seats of elected officials.

Instead of simply hearing presentations, participants were put to work.

During one exercise, teams were challenged to design a multi-use path—balancing safety, environmental impact, and real-world constraints. In another, they built bridges out of unconventional materials, testing the same structural concepts engineers use across the city.

The goal wasn’t just to inform. It was to immerse.

From infrastructure to influence

Session 2 focused on the systems residents rely on every day—roads, paths, stormwater, and sustainability efforts. City staff walked participants through the complexity behind maintaining Peachtree City’s extensive infrastructure, including its more than 100 miles of multi-use paths.

But the real shift came in Session 3.

Participants traded construction challenges for civic decision-making, stepping into a mock City Council meeting led by Mayor Kim Learnard. With guidance from City Manager Justin Strickland, residents debated issues and experienced firsthand how local policies are discussed and decided.

It was a rare chance to see—not just hear—how government works.

Pulling back the curtain on City Hall

The session also introduced residents to the people behind the scenes, from library services to human resources to the city clerk’s office. Conversations ranged from how digital resources are reshaping libraries to how the city recruits and retains its workforce.

The program is designed to do more than educate—it aims to build trust and engagement by showing residents exactly how decisions are made and services are delivered.

Why it matters

PTC 101 offers something most residents never experience: a hands-on look at the systems and decisions that shape daily life in Peachtree City.

By the end of the sessions, participants weren’t just learning about their city.

They were actively thinking like the people who run it.