Dunwoody leaders visit Canton to kick off City Council retreat

By ALEXANDER POPP alex@appenmedia.com

CANTON, Ga. — At first glance, the cities of Dunwoody and Canton might not seem like they have any similarities or common ground.

Canton, founded in 1834, is the mostly rural seat of Cherokee County with just over 32,000 residents, while Dunwoody, incorporated in 2008, is a northern suburb of Atlanta with a population of nearly 52,000.

But Dunwoody leaders said their community has a lot to learn from Canton, which has started earning statewide recognition in recent years for its vision, planning and approach to engaging diverse communities.

To kick off their annual retreat, members of the Dunwoody City Council toured Canton’s Etowah River Park and met with leaders at Canton City Hall, to ask questions, share successes and learn from each other.

Mayor Bill Grant, who calls Canton the “Coolest small town in America,” said much of his city’s recent success comes from the development of a “Roadmap for Success,” which guides almost every decision that city leaders make.

Launched in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Canton’s Roadmap for Success is a set of seven different guiding principles (Creating Great Neighborhoods, Celebrating the Diversity of Our Community, Advancing Regional Economic Success, Enhancing Historic Downtown Canton,

See RETREAT, Page 8

See FILM, Page 6

The DeKalb County School District hosts its fifth annual student film festival at the Plaza Theatre in Atlanta March 21. The festival showcases students premiere their films and compete for the night’s awards.

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