Fulton County Youth Commission Survey
Fulton County Environment and Community Development staff met with the Fulton County Youth Commission on April 21
and May 5, 2004 to present the Comprehensive Plan and to discuss their thoughts on
Fulton County and their community.
The Fulton County Youth Commission, created by the Board of Commissioners in 1999, is
composed of 21 Youth Commissioners. The members are high school students who are
appointed by the Board of Commissioners - four each for districts 3 through 7 and one at large.
The Youth Commission is a leadership program that engages high
school students to become involved in the local government process. Youth
Commissioners explore various problems and issues that today's youth face. They meet
with other youth organizations to discuss issues impacting adolescents and
participate in community projects focused on positive change. The Youth Commissioners also interact with
the Fulton County Board of Commissioners to gain an understanding of the process of
governance and community leadership and provide the Board of Commissioners with
their suggestions and recommendations. The goals of the Youth Commission are
to create a youth agenda, to advocate and lobby, to observe youth programming, to
provide leadership training, and to host a forum for youth leaders.
In the two meetings with the Youth Commission, Environment and Community Development staff asked the Youth
Commissioners to express their thoughts on Fulton County and the elements of a community. Staff also
conducted a hands-on land use exercise. Their responses are listed below.
What I Like About Fulton County
- Community
- Closeness of things
- Everything is close
- Eating, shopping opportunities, and tolerable people
- Close by stuff
- Proximity to MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) and the expressway
- Transit close by
What I Don't Like About Fulton County
- Difficulty in getting around
- Traffic
- Lack of sidewalks
- Congestion
- The inability to walk easily
- Flooded roads
- Lack of youth programs
- Lack of stuff to do
- Lack of entertainment
- Not funding charter schools
- Noise
- Neighbors
- Dirty
- Lack of improvement
- Constant building
- Noise of neighbors and cars in driveway
- Commonplace drug dealing
- My neighbors
- Sirens (urban noise)
How I Get Around in Fulton County
- Ride bikes to school
- Take MARTA to school
- Cars
- MARTA to downtown Atlanta
- Walk to work
- MARTA to Lenox Mall
- School bus
- Parents car
- Shuttle service from MARTA to school
- Gas prices affect public transit ridership
- MARTA stations are not convenient in North Fulton
What I Would Change About Fulton County
- Better transportation facilities
- Size of streets
- Kids traveling too far to school
- Road design
- Road expansion
- Better access to MARTA
- Better road planning
- Better access to transit
- More services and programs for teens
- Teen services in North Fulton
- More recreation centers
- Community centers
- More entertainment places for kids
- Kids walking around with nothing to do
- Community centers for teens
- Fix existing buildings instead of building new ones
- Impact of the jail behind my house
How I See Fulton County in 20 Years
- Crowded
- Overdeveloped
- More housing
- Troubled kids
- More like Midtown Atlanta
- More drug use
- Deteriorated communities because houses are not maintained by younger people
The Elements of a Good Community
- Places to shop and have fun
- Good businesses
- Local businesses
- Malls
- Grocery stores
- Affordable shopping
- Entertainment facilities
- Restaurants
- Retail, including Wal-Mart
- Ways to get around
- Better/wider roads
- Street lighting
- Sidewalks
- Bike lanes
- Places to live
- Good neighborhoods
- Fewer apartments
- Houses and places to live
- Larger lots
- Affordable homes, particularly in affluent areas
- Education and youth programs
- Youth oriented program and facilities
- Libraries
- Parks
- Good schools
- High schools
- Community services
- Good quality hospitals
- Effective Police Department
- Affordable day care centers, perhaps free of charge
- Good sanitation
- Safety
- More neighborhood watches
