A new "Atlanta Aerotropolis" blueprint lays out a vision to attract more businesses to the area around Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, create more jobs on the Southside and eventually make the aerotropolis into a thriving business district.

The "aerotropolis" in question covers an area of 165 square miles, two counties and 10 cities, with a population of 297,630 people.

“Our airport is a central business district,” said Aerotropolis Atlanta vice-chair Kevin Johnson -- like downtown, Midtown and Buckhead.

ajc.com

Credit: Kelly Yamanouchi

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Credit: Kelly Yamanouchi

One of the ideas is to draw on tourist sites and potential tourism attractions, including the Delta Flight Museum, Chick-fil-A headquarters, the Porsche Experience Center, tours of movie studios in the area, and historic Jonesboro, College Park, East Point and Hapeville.

“The Aerotropolis has several opportunities to leverage and promote its ‘coolness factor’ to the greater world,” the report contends.

To read more about the vision for an aerotropolis, the challenges the Southside has faced and ideas for a green corridor and a circulator bus in the airport area, along with maps and renderings, get the full story on MyAJC.com.

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PHOTO GALLERY: What the Atlanta airport aerotropolis might look like

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