Our Story: Great Places Flow from Great Rivers

The Chattahoochee River is the lifeblood of Georgia. Within the Atlanta Region, a unique 53-mile stretch winds through leafy neighborhoods and industrial parks, down to rolling farmland. From natural resource to natural beauty, this section of the Chattahoochee is an extraordinary public good – but too often overlooked and largely out of reach.

Building on tenacious efforts to revitalize a once polluted waterway, while recognizing our region’s continued growth, we believe now is the moment to put this section of the Chattahoochee riverfront back on the map – not just the water, but the land, forests, historic sites, and communities that surround it.

We envision this stretch of the Chattahoochee as a thriving riverfront of sustainability, community, and economic vitality, visible and accessible to all. We imagine residents living, working, learning, playing, and connecting throughout the corridor, and visitors seeking it out as a distinctive destination. More than just a waterway, it could become a way of life.

Today, we have an opportunity to chart the future course of the Chattahoochee riverfront and with it, the Atlanta Region. That means creating an alliance of public, private, and citizen stakeholders – all those who have a stake in this future – and shaping a shared vision together.

The potential for these 53 miles is vast. But it can only be realized through a comprehensive and collaborative approach. The role of Chattahoochee NOW is to convene our collective imaginations and coordinate our collective efforts to reach the riverfront’s greatest potential, while sustaining the river’s health. Great places flow from great rivers. That’s the role the Chattahoochee can play here, now.