IDA Presents Downtown Achievement Award to Atlanta Downtown Improvement District

Last week at its annual conference, the International Downtown Association recognized the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District with the Downtown Achievement Award of Excellence for its resourceful approach related to the ATL Downtown Counts: Street Homelessness Survey.

A jury of peer professionals reviewed, deliberated, and evaluated all entries in the 2022 Downtown Achievement Awards. The Award of Excellence acknowledges an excellent response to an urban place management challenge through demonstrated application of industry knowledge that exceeds the jury’s criteria.   

The ATL Downtown Counts: Street Homelessness Survey was among 21 qualified entries in the category of Public Space Management and Operations which IDA identifies as one of the seven professional urban place management practice areas. This category features unique organizational approaches and projects in the areas of safety, cleanliness, and hospitality, as well as placemaking and activation and facilities management.

ADID coordinated the survey to accurately advocate for and deploy resources to address street homelessness in Downtown Atlanta. The completely outdoor, 1-day event took place in May 2021 at Underground Atlanta. Partner agencies, including the Atlanta Police Department, MARTA Police Department, Georgia State University Police Department, and the ADID Ambassador Force, assisted with safety and hospitality support. Additionally, ADID partnered with Mercy Care to offer COVID-19 vaccines and Hope Thru Soap to offer homeless services for the event. Volunteers worked to survey the approximate 4 square mile radius of Downtown. Click here to see the survey results.

"The Atlanta Downtown Improvement District has demonstrated skillful application of urban place management principles with their Street Homelessness Survey,” said David Downey, IDA President and CEO. “This survey and its strategies for gathering information should serve as a framework to all member communities within IDA.” 

International Downtown Association is the premier organization for urban place professionals who are shaping and activating dynamic city center districts. 

You can learn more about the work ADID is doing in Downtown Atlanta here.