With three months, six public participation opportunities, and an online survey behind us, together with the resulting input of nearly 1,500 residents, Decatur’s now got a solid sense of community opinion as it relates to the city’s growth — from demographics, economic development and transportation to land use, affordable housing, and natural and cultural resources.

That opinion, together with a variety of “facts on the ground,” was presented to an enthusiastic gathering on Wednesday, June 8, followed by a public Q&A in which the many findings were reaffirmed by those in attendance.

A few highlights:

• Perhaps unsurprisingly, Decatur residents identified the City Schools of Decatur as our top asset.
• CSD has achieved the highest rate of high school graduation in the metro area, despite higher rates of student poverty than Fulton, Cobb, and Gwinnett counties.
• 61% of homeowners in Decatur have household incomes in excess of $100,000.
• Almost 3 out of every 4 participants support the idea of mandatory inclusionary housing in future multifamily development.
• Two thirds of respondents have found parking or traffic issues to be a barrier to patronizing downtown service and retail businesses, though almost 80% routinely walk as a form of transportation.

Review the full presentation here. And if you still want a chance to see it delivered in person, join us tomorrow night — Tuesday, June 14 — at 7pm where it will be presented to the city’s Planning Commission.