What is the Your Community, Your Future 2030 Plan?

Your Community, Your Future: Fulton County Comprehensive Plan 2030 is a document that Fulton County will develop as the vision for the future of Fulton County. Since the plan is shaped by the input of the community, it is shared by all and clearly describes the goals and values for Fulton County from all perspectives. 

Comprehensive plans are guides that determine how communities shape growth and development in the future. The plan contains detailed long-range planning recommendations for the next 20 years.  It will act as a management tool to guide the decision making process for the countywide policies on land use, housing, transportation, the environment and public facilities, including public parks, community and recreation centers, and trails.

The plan provides a rational for land use that allows the County to remain competitive with other communities in recruiting and retaining residents, home buyers and businesses alike. The plan can also include a timeline for when development will occur,  where it will occur and what it will include. It gives communities the opportunity to create the areas that represent how they want to live, work and play.


Why are we doing a 2030 Plan?

Local governments have the important responsibility to plan for land use as well as the growth and development of their communities. Additionally, every ten years local governments in Georgia are required to submit their comprehensive plans the State of Georgia to become a “Qualified Local Government (QLG)”. The QLG designation makes local governments eligible for certain state funding and grant opportunities.

In May of 2005, the Georgia Department of Community Affairs established the ‘Standards and Procedures for Local Comprehensive Planning’, a new methodology for enacting and updating Comprehensive Plans.   During this time Fulton County was in the plan development stage for the 2025 Fulton County Comprehensive Plan that had been initiated in November 2003.   Instead of Fulton County abandoning the planning process underway Fulton County opted to move forward and approve a plan using the old planning methodology. 

In November 2005 Fulton County adopted the Focus Fulton Comprehensive Plan 2025.  Because Fulton County’s plan did not meet the new planning standards, Georgia DCA has required that Fulton County develop a new comprehensive plan using the new planning standards for an October 2011 deadline.  Your Community, Your Future: Fulton County 2030 Comprehensive Plan is Fulton County’s answer to Georgia DCA and it is being developed according to the new planning standards.  


What is the community to gain from the Plan?

Comprehensive Plan 2030 provides citizens a venue to think about, and share, their vision for what Fulton County should be in 2030. The plan will be the written agreement to guide the next 20 years of growth for all members of the community. It will focus on maintaining and improving the quality of life for citizens as expressed in the visions.