You get the city you build.
Our organization has a long track record of big ideas, proactive planning, development assistance, and project implementation – all of which contribute to Midtown’s emergence as a thriving urban center. Some of the key tools in this effort are:
Blueprint Midtown I and II
Blueprint Midtown was a nationally regarded community planning process spearheaded by Midtown Alliance beginning in 1997. What sets Blueprint Midtown apart from so many planning processes is the fact that it got implemented. Big time. The original Blueprint stimulated dramatic changes to Midtown by providing a framework and catalyst for new housing, desirable office space, transportation improvements, public safety initiatives, environmental clean-up, and a pedestrian-friendly streetscape program. A subsequent update in 2003 resulted in Blueprint Midtown II and focused on planning for additional retail, transit and parks.
Thousands of citizens and businesses were involved in the process, and the results of the Blueprint Midtown process have been nothing short of astounding. They include:
- The single largest rezoning in the City’s history
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More than $4.5B of new investment since 1997, including 40M sq ft of office, residential, retail, and hospitality space in a 1.2 sq mi area
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Momentum that continues today, with substantial new development activity
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The creation of the Midtown Improvement District (MID). Funded by voluntary assessments of commercial property owners.To date, with contributions from the MID and public and private grants, more than $100M has been raised to continue to build-out the Blueprint
Blueprint Midtown 3.0
After extensive growth and change over the last 15 years, the Blueprint was again updated for the third time in 2016 and 2017. This two-year process engaged the community to recalibrate and refine a long-range plan that positions Midtown as the Southeast’s premier urban district. The overall vision for Midtown remains consistent – a livable, walkable district in the heart of Atlanta; a place where people, business and culture converge to create a live-work-play community with a distinct personality and a premium quality of life. In this version of Blueprint Midtown, there is an even greater emphasis on quality environments that are accessible, diverse, experiential, and sustainable.
Check out the final documents: Overview: Moving Forward with Blueprint 3.0 and Blueprint 3.0 Action Plan.
Midtown Transportation Plan
Midtown Alliance undertook its largest transportation study yet to examine district-wide mobility. Through this study, Midtown Alliance examined ideas to ensure the area’s long-term vitality, reinforce transit investments, and manage vehicle traffic while continuing to offer a quality environment for walking and biking. With input from thousands of people in-person and online, we have assessed needs, evaluated and prioritized projects, and identified programs and strategies to create an action plan for implementation. Learn more about the challenges this plan will address, view the planning process, read about trends in mobility from across the country, and stay up to date on implementation.
Read the Midtown Transportation Plan
Midtown Owner's Manual
The buildings that get added to the skyline today will be around for 100 years or more, so it's crucial that we get it right.We created this guide to equip developers and designers with the tools and the inspiration to raise their game for Midtown development projects. The manual goes into detail about organizing the building form and massing, how a building can engage people at street level (no blank walls), what to include in a streetscape, and the best design practices that make sense for any new project that goes up in Midtown. Watch for updates to this manual.
Read the Midtown Owner's Manual
Greenprint Midtown
Greenprint Midtown is the result of a six-month study to outline actions that further enhance Midtown’s development as one of the nation’s most livable, innovative, economically successful, and sustainable communities. This planning tool adds a “green lens” to Midtown Alliance’s existing programs and identifies new opportunities to increase Midtown’s sustainability. The report examines five impact areas – energy, water, open space, transportation, and waste – that form the basis for the Midtown EcoDistrict, which was established in 2012 as the first in the Southeastern U.S.