Visionary City Award

Auburn was honored in January as a 2021 Visionary City, by The Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) and Georgia Trend. The honor is in recognition of Auburn's "…thoughtfully planning a new downtown development that will include a new city hall, 150 homes and up to 20,000 square feet of commercial space."  Just three cities were awarded in the medium category (population 5,000-24,999).

Working together with residents and businesses, Auburn's leadership developed the vision for revitalization and expansion of the downtown district. Through years of diligence, and some challenging economic periods, the Mayor and Council have guided the vision by acquiring property, building a team of experienced professionals, and continuously seeking public input.

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"It's our privilege to honor the elected officials, city staff and community leaders who made these initiatives possible," said GMA Executive Director Larry Hanson. "These cities exemplify what it means to be forward-thinking for their residents and generations to come. They serve as inspiring examples of civility, collaboration and what it means to create communities of positive change across Georgia."

The award criteria include projects that are measurable,  and judged on how well they demonstrate civic engagement, inclusiveness and equity, collaboration, innovation, and long-term value to the community.