City of Atlanta - Incentivized Green Developments

July 25, 2024

Summary

The City of Atlanta offers developers expediting permitting and an additionally height bonus for meeting a variety of criteria. The criteria is divided two categories: Green Development and Plaza Areas.

1. Green Development
1. To qualify for the green development incentives, such development shall:
   
• Be in excess of 100,000 square feet of floor area;
  
• Utilize non-potable water sources for 100 percent of all outdoor water use;
  
• Provide verification of an Analysis of the City Energy Code that demonstrates ten percent reduction of energy use, in comparison to the City Energy Code requirements;
  
• Provide open space at least ten percent above open space requirements;
  
• Provide a minimum of three electric vehicle charging stations
2. Plaza Areas
1. Location
• Plaza areas eligible for the bonus provisions of this section are limited to one such location for each eligible plaza area. To view eligible plaza areas, view Section 16-18L.020 of the Municipal Code.
2. Plaza areas as supplemental zones.
• Shall be designed and located in accordance with the requirements for supplemental zones in section 16-18L.010.
• Shall have an overall scale and layout that delineates such areas as being unlike from the adjacent sidewalk areas. 
• Shall front the primary sidewalk-level façade of at least one building.
•  Shall be provided in addition to the total square footage of supplemental zones that would otherwise be required
3. Size and incentives
• For plaza areas at a minimum size of 2,500 square feet, all open space calculations shall be fully satisfied in the required supplemental zones and Plaza area.
• For plaza areas at a minimum of 5,000 square feet, in addition to the above plaza bonus for open space, an additional building height of 50 feet shall be permitted in excess of the total building height for portions of buildings which meet the following criteria:

1. Located within 800 feet of the plaza area as measured along a walkable path;
2. Immediately adjacent to the plaza area with no public streets separating them. 

Development bonuses shall be permitted for any development that meets the listed criteria for plaza areas or green development. Additional building height is only permitted when meeting all of the respective criteria for  plaza areas and green development.