Madeline Lasell

General Plan Reflection

Chatham County: The Comprehensive Plan

Introduction
The City of Savannah is nestled within Chatham County, Georgia, which is further
divided into two developments—East Chatham and West Chatham. Savannah city is urbanized
with large areas of mixed use development, while the surrounding areas of East and West
Chatham each maintain their own unique land use infrastructure. East Chatham is largely
marshland with a lower population density as compared to the rest of the county. In contrast,
West Chatham supplies the largest rate of population growth in the county. Historically an
agricultural, forested, and undeveloped area, this region now sees the bulk of Chatham County’s
continual population increase. The general plan asserts that the growth has been consistently
steady, making development considerations more manageable as compared to what other faster-
growing cities might experience. It is worth noting that the population sector growing the fastest
includes older, affluent individuals who are relocating due to retirement.
While this comprehensive plan is dedicated to the entire county, its focus is largely
centered around the City of Savannah and preserving its rich history. In fact, James Oglethorpe,
the city’s founder, is heavily referenced throughout this plan for the ways in which he
spearheaded Savannah’s planning efforts in 1733. The plan speaks well to how Savannah’s
history influences so many aspects of the city’s current economy and quality of life. Much of
James Oglethorpe’s original plans for the city have prevailed through time.
The comprehensive plan spans from 1733-2040, but this version is considered the 2016
update. It was adopted in February of 2017 by both the City of Savannah and Chatham County,
in conjunction with a separate document, the Chatham Community Blueprint. The Blueprint is a
2015 publication that focuses more specifically on the strategic plans developed for four
different focus areas of the comprehensive plan—the economy, education, health, and quality of
life. The contents of this reflection similarly touch on these four domains, in addition to their ties
to housing, land use, and transportation.

Strengths
It is clear that Chatham County values the health and well-being of its citizens. Within its
plan, Chatham County includes the results of a recent community survey, which showcases the
areas that Chatham County residents are most interested in addressing. While the demographic
profile of the survey responders was not included, it appears that the results cater to the
socioeconomic diversities found within the city. For instance, 69% of respondents indicated the
need for housing that accommodates all segments of the population. Seventy-five percent agree
that affordable housing is “very important.” Quotes from responders are embedded within the
plan and suggest that the needs of low-income families and homeless individuals are not being
met. Similarly, the need for blending low-income families into average neighborhoods rather
than public housing zones was also voiced. Over 70% of responders indicated that there should
be a significant increase in the investment of sidewalks, trails, road maintenance, and parks or
open space. Over 70% of respondents also favored the idea of support for quality of life
initiatives such as community gardens, walking and bicycling, and protecting the tree canopies.
Additionally, 60% agree that there is an inadequate supply of educational opportunities within
the community. These survey responses were attended to throughout the plan, strengthening the
plan’s appearance by providing robust and seemingly relevant material throughout.
Housing and Land Use. With respect to the identified housing concerns, the plan pushes
for the development of various housing types, programs that provide housing for individuals of
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General Plan Reflection

all socioeconomic backgrounds, as well as sustainable programs that aid the present homeless
population. The Chatham County population has grown substantially in the last two decades,
given its role “as an economic, cultural, and governmental hub, as well as an international focal
point for trade.” With projections for the population increase to continue over time, Chatham
County places the need for sufficient housing for all residents highly on its list of objectives. The
plan proposes that housing be made safe, affordable, and diverse in order to meet the needs of all
levels of income within the community.
Transportation. This comprehensive plan is strong in that it explicitly recognizes that
community health is largely influenced by transportation planning. For instance, the plan asserts
that, without adequate modes or routes of transportation, residents are unable to reach healthy
foods. Additionally, the plan recognizes that reliance on vehicular transportation can also affect
air quality, contribute to stressful weather patterns, or even social disruption. A large portion of
the community survey respondents indicated the need for more sidewalks, trails, and parks with
open space. Of the transportation goals included in the county’s “Total Mobility Plan,” there are
many objectives that stand out in terms of meeting the community’s identified needs: to
maximize regional population and employment accessibility, to encourage use of transit and non-
motorized modes of transportation, to expand transit service areas and frequency for areas with
low-rates of automobile ownership or high rates of elderly and disabled individuals, and to
protect wetlands or other important historic resources that contribute to greenspace. Local
jurisdictions also plan to use local funds for improved bike lanes and nature preserve trails
already in existence. It should be noted that, while the downtown Savannah area offers many
bike paths and exceptional walkability, East and West Chatham are the communities most in
need of policies that meet this plan’s transportation objectives.
Health and Quality of Life. Chatham’s comprehensive plan combines health and quality
of life objectives in order to capitalize on the importance of these metrics in Chatham County’s
continued planning efforts. In fact, the plan reads: “public health—especially access to healthy
foods, open spaces/recreational facilities, and active transportation (roads and trails safe for
bicycles and pedestrians)—is a vital quality of life issue.” Savannah already prides itself in its
existing high quality of life, which the city attributes to a temperate climate, wildlife, and
beautiful scenery. In its plan, Chatham County still aims to maintain “a safe, active, and healthy
environment inclusive of the area’s history, natural resources, public mobility, and efficient
government.” In the Chatham Community Blueprint, the strategic plan for quality of life
includes: reducing crime rates and expanding the visibility of police to ensure that residents feel
safe, building environments that encourage active lifestyles and neighborhood connectivity,
improving the delivery of social services and expanding the continuum of those services, and
consolidating government to ensure that procedures are executed efficiently and with
transparency. Regarding health, the Blueprint strategic plan centers around addressing mental
health, improving health equity, expanding school health education, and increasing food access
among the food insecure. The plan proposes policy for increasing access to produce in food
deserts, creating farmer support programs, and expanding the number of community gardens and
urban farmers.
Education and Economy. In its sections pertaining to economy and education, the
Chatham County plan emphasizes the need for an increased number of job opportunities and
improved academic training for these jobs. The Blueprint strategic plan focuses on enhancing
financial, social, and conflict resolution skills within schools, improving the upward mobility of
students, and enhancing parental involvement. Specifically, the plan aims to improve access to
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General Plan Reflection

apprenticeship, mentorship, and volunteering while also incentivizing parent involvement

through transit vouchers and paid time off, improving coordination of services, and educating
parents about various school policies. Through the development of apprenticeships and
vocational programs, Chatham County intends to maximize the number of quality jobs available
to members of the community, including individuals in poverty, young adults, ex-offenders, and
those with mental illness. Lastly, the plan pushes for entrepreneurial growth by increasing the
number of resources for small businesses and facilitating collaboration among local businesses.

Policy Weaknesses
The Chatham County comprehensive plan admits that it does not require consistency
between policy and programs—especially with respect to land use and zoning. While there are
several goals and objectives outlined in the general plan and the Chatham Community Blueprint,
they can be vague; so, translating them into policy might be difficult. The plan’s visions are
encompassing and appropriately factor in health considerations, but city-wide programs may not
reap the benefits of these visions without specific and adequate implementation. As the plan
mentions, this especially holds true in Chatham’s land use planning. As Chatham County expects
continual growth, the effective utilization of land will be an integral part of ensuring that homes
and other infrastructures are built to cater to the community’s needs while still preserving the
natural greenery and marshland surrounding. Without specific policies to match their objectives,
various programs and sectors within the community will be unable or otherwise slow to meet the
objectives outlined in this general plan. The lack of consistency between policy and programs
may make land use advancements difficult to accomplish.
It was not clear in the plan how the county wanted to move forward with increasing the
number of housing developments. The county plans to target West Chatham for building new
homes, but the plan does not discuss whether existing residents in this region will be included in
the decision to expand their community and, likely, the number of stores in the area to cater to
the population growth. Additionally, the plan’s vision for improved transit across the county will
likely impact the communities in ways they should be made aware of. Similarly, the decisions to
add bike paths and green space for community connectivity should be relayed to the community
as much as possible. The plan’s community survey demonstrates the planners’ attempts at
including residents, which is a great step in the right direction. However, it should not stop there.
Implementing these advancements may require more community input, depending on the
potential approaches to be taken.
Increasing food access appears to be a major theme in the Chatham County general plan.
The plan discusses the recent adoption of mobile farmers’ markets, community garden programs,
and health-focused school programs. While these are great programs in theory, it appears that
more community responses are needed in order to determine additional ways that members of the
community can access healthy foods outside of these avenues. As discussed in class, farmers’
markets and community gardens may not appeal to all members of the community. Moreover,
other sources of local food, such as food trucks or food stands, may be worth exploring in order
to involve various members of the community, create jobs, and expand the number of
possibilities relative to food access among all Chatham County residents.

Data Sources for Progress Assessment

To ensure plan progress over the course of its implementation, city planners can access
public data sources such as the American Community Survey, Walk Score, and the USDA Food
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General Plan Reflection

Environment Atlas. With respect to Chatham County’s projected increase in population, the
American Community Survey would be a good place to turn to for tracking progress with the
number of housing units and companies available for offering employment opportunities.
Evident in its plan, the city aspires to improve its education system in an effort to prepare youth
for quality jobs and, subsequently, a higher quality of life. The American Community Survey
examines educational attainment, median household income, the percentage of residents beneath
the poverty level, and other socioeconomic variables. Over time, the city can utilize this data
source in order to see whether they’ve achieved greater numbers of educational attainment,
housing units, and companies offering employment, in addition to higher median incomes and
fewer residents who fall beneath the poverty level.
The City of Savannah has relatively good walkability and bikeability scores on the Walk
Score database, but it would be interesting to see how this number changes over time as new bike
path developments are integrated into other regions of the county. Currently, Savannah does not
have a transit score on Walk Score, meaning it is not well-served by public transit. Per its general
plan, Savannah does intend to incorporate a transit system that allows for individuals without
cars to gain access to other regions throughout the county. Over time, Walk Score may be a good
source for determining how well-utilized a new transit system might be, along with how it might
also impact the walkability and bikeability of Chatham County as a whole.
Lastly, the USDA Food Environment Atlas may serve as another source of data with
which to measure progress for the food-related outcomes that this general plan discusses.
Chatham County’s health-centric plan has many goals pertaining to healthy food access and
increasing the prevalence of community gardens and health education. The Food Environment
Atlas can provide information on whether Chatham has improved with respect to accessibility
and proximity of grocery stores, grocery store availability, and the number of local food sources.
The Atlas can also show the prevalence of food insecurity, rates of food assistance usage, and
can determine the food prices and associated tax rates. If the county were to set specific,
numerical benchmark targets, it would be able to use the Atlas to see if its goals have been met.

Health Disparities
Chatham county is home to primarily African American and White citizens. While
Savannah residents are 54% African American, West and East Chatham are 71% White. With
the plan’s primary focus on Savannah, many African American members likely had a say in the
community survey. However, this remains unclear. In addition, it is unclear as to which members
of the community are being surveyed in terms of status, wealth, and health. The plan discusses
the need for increased job opportunities and housing developments for poverty-stricken and
transient individuals, yet it is not determinable whether these individuals are actually being
represented in the community surveys that this plan relies so heavily on. The approaches that the
city’s planners take to improve the community should consider various perspectives and needs in
order to not displace any county residents. Furthermore, other ethnic groups may not have
representation within this plan. While the county is primarily Black and White, other ethnicities
within the community must also have a say in the planning advancements of the region.
The plan also demonstrates room for growth in terms of meeting the needs of those with
mental illness, disabilities, and those who are ex-offenders or senior citizens. It is fortunate that
these individuals are included within the vision statements within this county’s plan, yet the
county’s current ability to serve these residents appears to be lacking. Hopefully, new
developments within the work place, housing markets, and transportation services will allow for
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General Plan Reflection

greater inclusion of these community members, in addition to better access to jobs, health
services and fresh, healthy foods.

Unique Features
With Savannah’s successful preservation of its rich, historical roots, the city has a lot to
offer in terms of its economy and quality of life. James Oglethorpe’s original plan for Savannah
was heavily pedestrian-oriented with ample open space and tree canopies. In addition, the
cultural and historical character of the community draw in tourists and boost the economy.
According to the Historic Savannah Foundation, “historic preservation goes hand-in-hand with
economic progress.” According to the plan, 13 million visitors came to Chatham County to enjoy
the historic architecture in 2015 and contributed over two billion dollars to the local economy.
Furthermore, the historic district fosters fewer home foreclosures than non-historic areas and
maintains stable property values during economic uncertainty. The historic districts and
rehabilitation also create and attract more jobs. Thus, Savannah and Chatham County at large are
focused on preserving and revitalizing historic and cultural areas for the economic viability of
the entire county.
Part of this preservation includes the several squares embedded within Savannah’s
downtown region. These squares offer up open green space, city-wide beautification, and traffic-
calming routes that are ideal for bicyclists and pedestrians. Outside of the downtown area,
however, bicycle use is unnatural and will require planning that allows for increased prevalence
of and connectivity between bike lanes. The general plan includes several maps of proposed
bikeways for the areas of Chatham County that would benefit from them.

Concluding Remarks
Ultimately, Chatham County’s plan recognizes the connection that land use planning and
regulation has to public health. It was impressive to see how much this plan integrated ideas that
so heavily considered the health of Chatham residents, in addition to their economic well-being
and quality of life. It seems as though the county is taking many steps in the right direction
toward improving the city and meeting the needs of its diverse population. More specific policies
are needed, along with ways in which to ensure consistency between policies and county-wide
program enactment. With its unique tourist industry, rich historical context, and international
trade Savannah can leverage these opportunities in order to improve its economy and,
simultaneously, assume the responsibility to plan for the health and success of its residents and
the residents of Chatham County at large.