Perimeter Center Development Map (Atlanta, Sandy Springs: apartments, movers, neighborhoods)

[erick295]

I threw together a quick map showing some of the current and proposed development around Perimeter Center. The area is really picking back up again.

Perimeter Center Development - Google Maps

The details are scarce since I didn't want to put a lot of time into it... if you want to learn more, there's a Google for that

[bfarley30]

Great map!!

[erick295]

Thanks. I updated it with a few additional projects and added some links

[ATLTJL]

Wow, I wonder what's going to happen to congestion up there. If there's anything the roads around Perimeter Center need more than anything else, it's more volume! Are they just building all this stuff with absolutely no traffic plan? Of course they are!

[erick295]

Hmm, leaving vast amounts of vacant space between buildings doesn't seem to do much for the situation on roads like Cobb Parkway... is it possible that dense, walkable neighborhoods with public transit are the solution to the problem of traffic congestion rather than the cause of it?

[atlantagreg30127]

The Perimeter Center area is a perfect example of an area that needs an elevated people mover type system similar to what they have in downtown Miami or at the airport, that would interconnect a lot of the businesses, restaurants, shops, and the mall in that immediate area in a loop style path.

So much emphases (and threads) are focused on regional mass transit, but in a city like Atlanta, there is a benefit from closed-loop people mover systems in places like Perimeter Center, The Cumberland Mall/Galleria area in Cobb, Buckhead, etc. Tons of people do lunch time errands in these immediate areas where they work. Tourists and conventioneers go from place to place in these immediate areas. Local residents will hit one place then drive a block to another, and then drive one more block to another, etc. It's great that these areas are so well built and are now growing more, but to address the also growing traffic concerns, options like this need to be considered.

This is not to divert the topic to public transit in Atlanta... we have ENOUGH threads on that. I'm simply making a one time statement about how the above would come in handy in the Perimeter area (and others) to help with the traffic issues that one persona has commented on so far.

[cwkimbro]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

The Perimeter Center area is a perfect example of an area that needs an elevated people mover type system similar to what they have in downtown Miami or at the airport, that would interconnect a lot of the businesses, restaurants, shops, and the mall in that immediate area in a loop style path.

So much emphases (and threads) are focused on regional mass transit, but in a city like Atlanta, there is a benefit from closed-loop people mover systems in places like Perimeter Center, The Cumberland Mall/Galleria area in Cobb, Buckhead, etc. Tons of people do lunch time errands in these immediate areas where they work. Tourists and conventioneers go from place to place in these immediate areas. Local residents will hit one place then drive a block to another, and then drive one more block to another, etc. It's great that these areas are so well built and are now growing more, but to address the also growing traffic concerns, options like this need to be considered.

This is not to divert the topic to public transit in Atlanta... we have ENOUGH threads on that. I'm simply making a one time statement about how the above would come in handy in the Perimeter area (and others) to help with the traffic issues that one persona has commented on so far.

We could probably do it slightly cheaper by doing a single track going one way and have it connect to Dunwoody and Sandy Springs station to make it possible.

What I would like to see more of is canopied walking structures installed in the areas of opportunity. The bridge in Buckhead was a good start.

I always felt like UPS' headquarters should have a connection to North Springs. We also need to be better about connecting neighborhoods and apartments that back up to to other roads near transit or near stations.

I've come to realize for many residential areas things can be a long walk, because you have to exit at one point, but not through a back way. We could create pedestrian and bike connections through neighborhoods where street/car connections don't exist.

The Dunwoody station could add a small single gate back entrance on the South side of the station to the platform to keep people from needing to cross the street or walk past the deck. There are a few small key properties that could easily be redeveloped right next to it to the west and south.

That is sort of what is nice about Sandy Springs station.

Some of it is we need to look for small things to make it easier or make connections that weren't possible before.

You know how in planning they make those 1/4 mile circles? We should start looking at it on a micro level and map out actual 1.4 mile walking paths to the entrances and compare it to development possibilities of the area.

[erick295]

Little update: I found some renderings of the new Cox building. Nothing too interesting, but it will be a nice addition to their campus and they're doing a pretty good job of obscuring the parking deck.

COX ENTERPRISES TOWER II

[cqholt]

Wow, I wonder what's going to happen to congestion up there. If there's anything the roads around Perimeter Center need more than anything else, it's more volume! Are they just building all this stuff with absolutely no traffic plan? Of course they are!

Most companies site MARTA as a big motivator in location to Perimeter Center. Not many, major office buildings are more than 1/2 mile from the nearest station. Lots of office parks provide a shuttle to MARTA stations for employees.

The Perimeter Center area is a perfect example of an area that needs an elevated people mover type system similar to what they have in downtown Miami or at the airport, that would interconnect a lot of the businesses, restaurants, shops, and the mall in that immediate area in a loop style path.

That would be perfect in a dream world, but let face it in a world of dwindling federal funds mega projects like these are gone. The Miami MetroMover was built with majority federal funds to show that people movers could be useful public transit systems. 3 were built, Detroit and Jacksonville, but only Miami is seen as a success.
A cheaper solution is TOD. Focus intense density and mixed use projects within 1/4 mile of stations. Eliminate having parking lots between buildings and streets, move them to the back or side or buildings.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by cqholt

A cheaper solution is TOD. Focus intense density and mixed use projects within 1/4 mile of stations. Eliminate having parking lots between buildings and streets, move them to the back or side or buildings.

I wonder if you could do something like a BRT system? You know, modern coaches with floor level entrances like train cars, and maybe some dedicated/priority lanes? I'm thinking of something like the Select Bus line on Second Avenue in NYC.

Even if you only started with one or two lines connecting up the major destinations that would be a good start.