Our recent work:
Visit www.zoningatl.com to learn more about our current work with the Zoning Ordinance Diagnostic for the City of Atlanta.
Visit www.buhimasterplan.com to learn more about our on-going LCI process with the cities of Doraville and Chamblee, GA.
Click HERE to view some of our most recent work for the community of Opelika, Alabama. We are currently helping to implement this master plan.
Click HERE to view the Virginia Highland Master Plan was adopted by the Atlanta City Council July of 2014.
Visit www.buhimasterplan.com to learn more about our on-going LCI process with the cities of Doraville and Chamblee, GA.
Click HERE to view some of our most recent work for the community of Opelika, Alabama. We are currently helping to implement this master plan.
Click HERE to view the Virginia Highland Master Plan was adopted by the Atlanta City Council July of 2014.
Our leadership:
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Aaron Fortner is a Principal and founder of the Canvas Planning Group. With 18 years of experience in community planning and design, he works with for-profit and not-for-profit entities, churches, neighborhoods, cities, counties, and regions to create vibrant, healthy, sustainable and dynamic communities. Whether it is a team of 5, a staff of 50, a congregation of 500, a neighborhood of 5,000, a city of 50,000, a customer base of 500,000, a following of 5,000,000, or all of the above, the principles of successful communities are the same. Aaron’s passion is to help organizations of people discover these principles of successful communities and to leverage them to embrace a compelling and unique story that separates them from the competition.
Aaron and his wife reside in Atlanta, GA with their 2 children. He has a Bachelors of Arts degree in Urban Studies from the University of South Florida, and a Masters degree in City Planning with a focus in Urban Design from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He has worked as a community designer at the City of Atlanta Office of Planning, North Point Community Church, as the co-owner of Market + Main Inc, and now as the owner of the Canvas Planning Group. Aaron holds an AICP certification from the American Planning Association and is an avid writer and speaker on the topic of community and urbanism. He is an active leader with Passion City Church and also serves on the board of the Atlanta-based non-profit organizations of Plywood People and Refuge Coffee. |
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What we believe:
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Formed in 2014, the Canvas Planning Group is an Atlanta-based City Planning consultancy focused on planning and designing vibrant communities. Canvas provides planning, design and engagement services for cities, neighborhoods, companies and organizations that desire to grow, nurture, improve or engage their respective community. The Canvas team has developed a unique approach to community planning and design that we successfully apply to a wide range of community types. From burgs to businesses, cities to corporations, and neighborhoods to non-profits, our work is based on the time-tested principles of successful community-making.
Our foundational belief is that the greatest potential of any community is in its ability to tell its own unique story. Our team of planners and creatives work with clients to unearth an individualized story for the community, rooted in history, heritage, geography, existing assets, demographics, as well as a compelling and creative vision for an exciting new future. It is this ability to brand and market a clear story that enables our communities to stand out from their respective competitors. With a commitment to producing work at the highest level of innovation and creativity, Canvas also utilizes an extensive network of artists and creatives to supplement and compliment our work. Ultimately, Canvas provides a platform for our utmost passion - creating the places where people desire to be. |
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Experience:
- Atlanta BeltLine Sub-Area 7 & 8 master plans
- Atlanta form-based zoning districts [Buckhead, Midtown, Vine City, Virginia-Highland, MR, MRC, LW, NC]
- Atlanta Regional Commission Plan 2040
- Atlanta 2016 Zoning Diagnostic
- Avondale Estates form-based district
- Buford Highway LCI master plan
- Candler Park neighborhood master plan (view it HERE)
- Chamblee form-based zoning code
- Chat Hills form-based zoning code
- Chick-fil-a urban strategy
- Chosewood Park master plan
- College Hill [Macon] zoning & design guidelines
- Covington form-based code
- Coweta County form-based unified development code
- Decatur infill housing analysis
- Design Doraville comprehensive plan
- Edgewood neighborhood master plan
- Fort Gillem form-based zoning district
- Grayson form-based zoning code
- Martin Luther King historic district update
- New Orleans neighborhood organization policy
- Opelika downtown master plan
- Opelika Artline plan
- Sustainable Cities Institute best practices analysis
- Suwanee downtown master plan
- Union City form-based zoning districts
- Virginia-Highland neighborhood master plan
- West Point Downtown master plan
- West Point 10th Street master plan
If you would like to see any of this work, email us and we can get you a copy of the work/plan.