Land Use

DEKALB COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN

INCENTIVES THAT SUPPORT SMART GROWTH

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

DeKalb County’s Comprehensive Plan includes incentives that support smart growth with a focus on activity centers. The development of activity centers’ guidelines are designed for regional, town, and neighborhood centers, which all focus on elements of mixed-use land use designations that support smart growth principles in the policies. 

DeKalb County Comprehensive Land Use Plan

Alongside the Comprehensive Plan, in 2016, DeKalb County passed an Economic Development Incentives Policy that was created to expand economic development activity, enhance the tax base, create and retain jobs, and spur redevelopment in DeKalb County. The policy encourages private sector reinvestment in key areas within DeKalb. DeKalb's 2050 Unified Plan outlines economic development opportunities. 

Economic Development | DeKalb County GA

Home - Decide DeKalb Development Authority

DeKalb County implemented a Historic Preservation Ordinance on April, 26th, 1994. Historic Preservation throughout DeKalb County is primarily concerned with identifying and protecting areas,
buildings, and sites of significance in the history of our county, our state, and our nation.

DeKalb County Historic Preservation

Historic Preservation Ordinance

• Soapstone Ridge Historic District
• Druid Hills Historic District

REUSE - BROWNFIELDS, GRAYFIELDS, AND INFILL SITES

REVITALIZATION PROGRAMS

FEMA BUYOUT PROGRAM

DeKalb County has repurposed numerous environmentally complicated sites such as Brownfields, Grayfields, and Infill sites. For example, our Central Transfer Station is located on a Brownfield site, and our Fleet Maintenance Division is located on a Grayfield site. 

Brownfield sites are damaged sites where development is complicated by environmental contamination. Greyfield sites are aging or abandoned strip malls, shopping centers, historical buildings, or other underutilized buildings. Infill sites are new development sited on previously developed land within an existing community, and that is surrounded by other types of development.

DeKalb County Brownfields Inventory

DeKalb County has identified several areas within DeKalb County and introduced policies to encourage redevelopment and revitalization of these areas.  These revitalization programs encourage the reuse of buildings, restoration of grey fields, and redevelopment of brownfields.

Memorial Drive Tool Box | DeKalb County GA

Long Range Small Area Plans and Studies | DeKalb County GA

Approximately 7% of DeKalb County lies within floodplain. As a result, DeKalb County actively participates in the floodplain buyout program by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); the county purchases properties that have historically
suffered damage due to flooding. Upon the buyout, the homes are removed from the parcel, and the floodplain is restored as green infrastructure to ideally mitigate flooding in surrounding parcels. 

Hazard Mitigation | DeKalb County GA