Perimeter | Cities on the Move

New Amenities: City of Brookhaven Economic Development Director Aaron Szarowicz. Photo credit: Eric Sun

Three northern suburbs of Atlanta are trailblazing the way to a better quality of life – connecting greenspaces and city centers with pedestrian walkways, subsidizing rideshare programs and smart technologies to deliver efficient services and encouraging “pop up” shops in public spaces to generate more business activity.

Across Brookhaven, Dunwoody and Sandy Springs, city officials are using creative approaches to repurpose existing land, particularly because there is little vacant space to develop into housing, entertainment venues and office parks. They are reimagining their municipalities – bringing workspaces, nightlife, recreation and housing together to create a “village” that both residents and visitors can enjoy.

Brookhaven calls itself Georgia’s “city on the move” because since it was incorporated in 2012, it has transformed from a small, quiet suburb to a thriving, pedestrian-friendly area known not only for its dining and arts scene but also as a healthcare hub. Post-incorporation, Brookhaven modified its zoning and planning and turned its efforts toward pedestrian- friendly pathways, shopping areas and popular events, including the annual Cherry Blossom Festival each spring.

Its landscape has changed too – with the August 2025 opening of the Brookhaven City Centre. The $81 million building, encompassing 58,000 square feet, provides rentable space for private events, business meetings and town gatherings. Eleven meeting rooms and open spaces totaling 20,000 square feet can be rented for public use. Brookhaven Economic Development Director Aaron Szarowicz says the city has already handled 178 bookings since September and reserved more than 140 upcoming bookings for events like banquets, weddings, corporate meetings, board meetings and industry receptions.

Event Venue: Brookhaven City Centre opened in August 2025. Photo credit: Contributed

Brookhaven leased the City Centre property from MARTA for 50 years, through a $3 million lease agreement that started in 2022. Once the lease term is complete, ownership of the building will transfer to the city.

“We think it’s been a success,” Szarowicz says, citing in particular the Entertainment Tourism Summit, a networking event highlighting tourism related to the state’s film industry, which was wooed by the city’s convention and visitors bureau. Beyond the promotional efforts, Szarowicz says he and his colleagues tap into their extended personal networks, trade associations and professional organizations to promote City Centre as a prime event venue.

“For me, it’s pretty awesome to have such a fabulous building at my disposal just because Atlanta is such an event-heavy, meeting-heavy market. I’m able to host a lot of industry-specific events,” Szarowicz says.

In addition, the city is accommodating the rising demand to serve a medical workforce, with its focus on Corporate Square redevelopment, dubbed Northbend. Construction is scheduled to begin this summer. The massive mixed-use project will help meet the needs of healthcare workers, their families and families of those receiving care in the nearby Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Arthur M. Blank Hospital and Emory Healthcare. It will include residences, retail offices, green space and connectivity to the Peachtree Creek Greenway. Developer Third & Urban and its capital partner HighBrook Investors have secured a $35.7 million loan from Atlanta-based Peachtree Group for the 30-acre site, which will cost $605 million.

Phase 2 of the project will include a boutique hotel. All phases combined will result in more than 1,500 residential units, including multifamily homes, senior living units and townhomes, 100,000 square feet of medical office space, 10,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, and a 150-key hotel where an outdated office park once stood.

“I think Brookhaven is positioned to be a leader – not only in the metro and not only regionally, but nationally as an emerging leader – because of catalytic developments that [Children’s] and Emory have both brought in. You’re starting to see even mixed-use developments putting in healthcare [and] medical offices,” says Szarowicz.

Under Construction: Rendering of mixed-use development Manor Druid Hills. Photo credit: Contributed

A prime example: the $155 million mixed-use development Manor Druid Hills under construction on the corner of Briarcliff and North Druid Hills roads. The Miami-based developer, the Related Group, has planned 381 multi-family units, a 140-room hotel, retail and 55,000 square feet of medical office space.

In February, Brookhaven was designated a BioReady Gold Community by Georgia Life Sciences, the state’s leading life sciences membership organization. The designation sends a signal to life science and biotech companies that Brookhaven has sites available to accommodate them. Szarowicz says he expects a significant uptick in announcements of such companies relocating to Brookhaven in the next three to five years.

To alleviate congestion that may arise from these developments, the city is pursuing a pedestrian bridge that connects Emory University’s Executive Park off of Interstate 85 to the Peachtree Creek Greenway on the other side of I-85.

“It’ll land right at the trailhead of the second phase of the Peachtree Creek Greenway, so we’re focused not only on vehicular traffic, but also able to connect pedestrians,” Szarowicz says. The project could begin as early as the second half of this year.

Creating a Village for All

Brookhaven isn’t alone in redeveloping spaces to cater to the demands of a growing workforce.

To support the influx of employees hired by TriNet, a human resources and payroll company that opened its new corporate center in August, Dunwoody has prioritized the redevelopment of the High Street area into a true live-work-play destination.

“We want it to be a place where people can come spend time whether you live there or just come to visit to enjoy that part of the city,” says Dunwoody City Manager Eric Linton. Formerly the largest piece of vacant property in that part of Dunwoody, the site has been transformed into the $2 billion mixed-use destination High Street, revitalizing what had long been considered the back side of the city.

Sense of Place: Dunwoody City Manager Eric Linton at High Street. Photo credit: Eric Sun

Before the redevelopment, the area lacked dense housing options. With its first phase now complete and the second one underway, approximately 900 residential units have or will soon come online, Linton says. The added density is helping Dunwoody better support its growing employment base while creating a neighborhood that remains lively beyond traditional work hours.

That same philosophy fueled the revitalization of the Dunwoody Village District, which has become a family-friendly entertainment hub anchored by restaurants, small offices and townhomes.

“Dunwoody has worked to create districts, with the Village being a key district to drive work-live-and-play. … We want people to come in and spend time there and linger,” Linton says.

Encouraging people to linger has become a guiding principle across the city. A major step in that direction is Homecoming Park, a fully funded $5 million project scheduled to begin construction this summer. Once complete, the park will offer 10 acres of woods, a wildflower meadow, a nature trail, sand volleyball courts and an all-user-accessible playground.

Public art has also emerged as a key placemaking tool, Linton says, pointing to a dozen installations spread throughout 12 acres at Wildcat Park along Roberts Drive. The exhibit that was unveiled in December 2025 could run for up to two years.

Placemaking Tool: Take Flight is one of several art installations in Wildcat Park. Photo credit: Contributed

“We found that residents enjoy seeing that. It identifies Dunwoody,” Linton says. An art commission reviews each installation to ensure it reflects the city’s character.

Creating a sense of place is also a top priority for the Perimeter Community Improvement Districts, a self-taxing district that uses additional property tax on commercial space to accelerate transportation and infrastructure improvements in the area. Executive Director Ann Hanlon says as part of its partnership with Georgia Department of Transportation to build toll lanes along the top end of Interstate 285, the CIDs have plans to upgrade all of the bridges and overpasses that will be touched by the projects. Furthermore, the CIDs have proposed an aesthetics package to upgrade the bridges with decorative lighting, landscaping and stonework, at a cost of roughly $2 million per bridge.

“It gives us the opportunity to leverage GDOT work and add on additional work to beautify the area and sort of create a sense of place as people are entering this area from other parts of Georgia,” Hanlon says.

Evolving District: Ann Hanlon, executive director of the Perimeter Community Improvement Districts. Photo credit: Daemon Baizan

Last year, the CIDs partnered with the three visitors’ bureaus – Explore Brookhaven, Discover Dunwoody and Visit Sandy Springs – to launch “Playfully Perimeter,” a series of free pop-up immersive experiences to create moments of interest that engage working professionals and their families in the area to support local businesses.

“We did an ice-skating event in December at High Street for the holidays. [Last] summer at Perimeter Summit, we did a big event sort of like an adult field day. We had popsicles of games and music.”

The CID has funded the series again for 2026 to contribute to the sense of community in the district.

“The district has evolved. There are twice as many people living here now as there were 10 years ago [including families],” Hanlon explains.

Once the FIFA World Cup matches start next month, locals can expect to enjoy soccer watch parties at High Street, courtesy of the CID.

Commuter Amenities

In addition, the Perimeter CIDs are working to improve the ambience at MARTA stations with live events and art installations. Their goal is to promote MARTA ridership. “It is a huge priority for us to be the safest, cleanest business district in Metro Atlanta,” Hanlon says.

Improving Ambience: The Perimeter CIDs are promoting live entertainment at nearby MARTA stations. Photo credit: Contributed

Another priority is to develop trail corridors along Ashford Dunwoody Road and Peachtree Dunwoody Road. The Ashford Dunwoody Trail’s second phase is expected to be complete in 2028. And the Peachtree Dunwoody Path, which will connect the Dunwoody and Sandy Springs MARTA stations, is expected to break ground in 2027. Both projects are undergoing the right-of-way acquisition process supported by the CIDs. The Perimeter CIDs are contributing $150,000 to help with upgrades and landscaping along the completion of PATH 400 for the portion that runs from Perimeter to Buckhead.

“We realized that in today’s market employees are looking for a high-quality experience,” Hanlon says. “They’re not just looking for a place to work. They want options. They want a place to live and a place to eat, and a place to be entertained.”

CID projects are not just cosmetic. The CIDs have partnered with Commute with Enterprise to launch a new vanpool program to fill a gap once served by public transit buses. Rapid Ride Perimeter allows up to eight riders to share a van or SUV, supplied by Enterprise Rent-A-Car, to drive into the district for work. The cost of the rideshare, $75 per rider per month, is subsidized by the Perimeter CIDs and Atlanta Transit Link Authority and covers the car rental, insurance and gas. Riders will need to find their own parking.

Vanpool Program: Rapid Ride Perimeter allows up to eight riders to share a van or SUV to drive to work. Photo credit: Contributed

“It’s been a priority of the CID and our board of directors to make sure that the Perimeter is the most easily accessible district in Metro Atlanta, and we want to be able for people to come, have an inexpensive, dependable, safe way to get to our district,” Hanlon says.

Optimizing Mobility

In Sandy Springs, Mayor Rusty Paul has encouraged teams to think differently about how infrastructure, economic development and quality of life can intersect. City officials are examining how pathways can become active, inviting spaces that support small businesses and long-term growth, similar to the Atlanta Beltline.

Paul points to PATH 400 and the Springway Trail as exemplary opportunities to spark growth. Once complete, PATH 400 will connect Sandy Springs directly to the Atlanta Beltline, expanding its role beyond recreation into transportation and economic development. Sandy Springs officials are now exploring micro-business opportunities along its trails, including affordable coffee shops or sandwich counters housed in repurposed shipping containers. These small-scale ventures create reasons for people to stop, linger and return, transforming linear trails into destinations in their own right.

“You need to create points of interest and points of activity other than riding your bicycle or walking,” Paul says.

Trail Project: PATH 400, which is being expanded, will eventually connect Sandy Springs to the Beltline. Photo credit: Contributed

Realizing the need for significant investment in infrastructure, the state has committed to improvements along the I-285 Georgia 400 interchange, with managed lanes along Georgia 400 expected to break ground later this year. At the city level, Sandy Springs has been using its T-SPLOST program to make targeted improvements that align with its broader mobility strategy.

“We’re a fully mature community that was not very well thought out on the front end from a transportation point of view,” Paul says, adding that many of the city’s roads began as farm paths in the 18th and 19th centuries. Geography adds another layer of difficulty, with river crossings, hills and legacy road alignments limiting options.

While it’s unrealistic to rebuild the transportation network from scratch, the city’s master plan aims to ease congestion through incremental improvements. A survey by the Atlanta Regional Commission finds commute times across Metro Atlanta have dropped by five minutes since 2019, in part due to remote work. Paul says it’s also because of investments made in partnership with the GDOT.

“It’s also a reflection of our work using the T-SPLOST funds to optimize our local roads and street networks,” he says, “and to create alternatives such as trails and additional sidewalks to give people the opportunity to move point to point without getting in the car.”

Automation & AI

Thinking Differently: Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul at Morgan Falls Park. Photo credit: Eric Sun

Beyond the facelift the city is receiving, Sandy Springs City Manager Eden Freeman says the city is also pursuing a Digital Innovation Initiative to overhaul its data systems and leverage artificial intelligence to deliver services more efficiently. Government entities typically have data silos, Freeman says, but Sandy Springs has plans to merge its data into a centralized data lake for more accessibility across the city’s tech applications. The city set up a closed-loop solution to upload city codes, ordinances, resolutions and planning documents for easy discoverability. The connectivity between the systems has led to an estimated savings of 2,800 staff hours a year.

Similarly, a pilot project launched in 2024 in partnership with Sandy Springs-based permit provider OpenGov reviews permit applications for missing information using AI.

“All of those things that right now take three to four days for staff personnel to review can be done in minutes,” Freeman says. As a result, homeowners and contractors can receive permitting information much faster to get their project moving.

Whether it’s using technology to simplify data, turning outdated business parks into lively mixed-use developments or leveraging public-private partnerships to improve the commuter experience, Brookhaven, Dunwoody and Sandy Springs aren’t merely updating existing spaces and services. They are maximizing them, making the Perimeter region a place where residents and visitors alike can enjoy all it has to offer.