Is Atlanta's Shift to Infill Development the Canary in the Sprawl Coal Mine?

A new study indicates that one of America's poster children for auto-centric development has a made a significant u-turn. Since 2009, the majority of Atlanta's new commercial and rental housing has been built in "walkable urban places".

1 minute read

October 3, 2013, 5:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj

"Since 2009, 60 percent of new office, retail and rental properties in Atlanta have been built in what Christopher Leinberger calls 'walkable urban places' – those neighborhoods already blessed by high Walk Scores or on their way there," reports Emily Badger. "That new construction has taken place on less than 1 percent of the metropolitan Atlanta region's land mass, suggesting a shift in real estate patterns from expansion at the city's edges to denser development within its existing borders."

"'This is indicative that we’re seeing the end of sprawl,' says Leinberger, a research professor with the George Washington University School of Business, who led the study in conjunction with Georgia Tech and the Atlanta Regional Commission."

FULL STORY: Have We Reached Peak Sprawl?

Wednesday, October 2, 2013 in The Atlantic Cities

Land Use Georgia Atlanta Sprawl walkable urbanism Christopher Leinberger Walkable Urban Places View More

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