MOST URBAN 2nd Tier Suburban Metro Atlanta County (Alpharetta, Douglasville: homes, employment)

[oobanks]

Outside of the Core Counties of (Fulton, Dekalb, Clayton, Cobb and Gwinnett) which 2nd Tier Suburban County is Most Urban Today simular to that of the Core Counties and has the best chance for Urban Development in the Future given Infrastructure and other factors. (Henry, Douglas, Rockdale, Cherokee, Forsyth, Fayette, Barrow, Borrow, Newton)

[Mutiny77]

It's tough to characterize any of those counties as (classically) urban to any extent since they are almost all suburban/exurban/rural with very small traditional downtowns scattered about here and there.

[JoeP]

There has to be urban development and those counties are opposite of urban growth.

[Mutiny77]

In terms of new development, I think the most urban you're going to get in these counties is downtown Woodstock in Cherokee County, and that's mainly a rebuilt traditional downtown/New Urbanist-type hybrid.

[oobanks]

Originally Posted by JoeP

There has to be urban development and those counties are opposite of urban growth.

That is true, but there is some Urban Clusters in those Counties like Stockbridge in areas and even in Douglasville in the older Downtown portions. They will Technically stay suburban in nature but which one, in Opinion would lean Towards this type of growth, even in a new Edge City/ Suburban City Capacity like Cumberland. This could easly happen in Suburban Counties especially near Freeway interchanges.

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by oobanks

That is true, but there is some Urban Clusters in those Counties like Stockbridge in areas and even in Douglasville in the older Downtown portions. They will Technically stay suburban in nature but which one, in Opinion would lean Towards this type of growth, even in a new Edge City/ Suburban City Capacity like Cumberland. This could easly happen in Suburban Counties especially near Freeway interchanges.

Oh I don't think that's happening anytime soon in any of these counties whatsoever. I can see some office spillover happening in southern Forsyth but nothing on the level of Cumberland or even Alpharetta; it will be more small-scale in nature.

[cqholt]

Even the core counties get rural at their edges.

[cwkimbro]

I think the real winner here is Forsyth County, given the OP's question. The major justification is that is 64k jobs, compared to its similarly populated peers that have about 40k jobs or less.

They get to be the benefactor of a continuation of N. Fulton's GA400 employment corridor growth. They also have a small business district established about McGinnis Ferry and Peacthree Pkwy bringing more varied economic activity within their borders.

They are also doing more to prepare the GA400 corridor for more business growth, whereas Cherokee County has built more large lot suburban homes close to I-575 leaving less room for non-residential growth. They made sizable investments in things like Ronald Reagan Blvd, which despite their lack of road naming skills will adaquetly allow for more business growth and less traffic problems within Forsyth in the long run.

[oobanks]

Originally Posted by cwkimbro

I think the real winner here is Forsyth County, given the OP's question. The major justification is that is 64k jobs, compared to its similarly populated peers that have about 40k jobs or less.

They get to be the benefactor of a continuation of N. Fulton's GA400 employment corridor growth. They also have a small business district established about McGinnis Ferry and Peacthree Pkwy bringing more varied economic activity within their borders.

They are also doing more to prepare the GA400 corridor for more business growth, whereas Cherokee County has built more large lot suburban homes close to I-575 leaving less room for non-residential growth. They made sizable investments in things like Ronald Reagan Blvd, which despite their lack of road naming skills will adaquetly allow for more business growth and less traffic problems within Forsyth in the long run.

I can agree with you on that one, Especially along that GA400 Corridor in Forsyth County. I think Henry can come in kinda Strong as well on the South Side with the Hot Lanes being put in, Especially along the Areas near Hudson Bridge North to I-675 up to 138 areas.

[cwkimbro]

Originally Posted by oobanks

I can agree with you on that one, Especially along that GA400 Corridor in Forsyth County. I think Henry can come in kinda Strong as well on the South Side with the Hot Lanes being put in, Especially along the Areas near Hudson Bridge North to I-675 up to 138 areas.

Henry has done very for being on the Southside. It doesn't receive the strong demand that already existed in a place like North Fulton.

For comparison Henry Co. currently has about 46k jobs

I like what they have done in parts, like some of the adjacent interconnecting roads between McDonough Hampton Rd and McDonough Rd.

That leads to more business and industrial development. It gives them a place to be and be more accessible to place in the county without only relying on people using the freeway and the roads that cross the freeway. They have also allowed for developments on smaller lots in this area, so they are concentrating housing around job centers.

I think Henry had some missed opportunities, particularly closer to Stockbridge at the northern part of the county where they saw their earlier wave of suburban growth.

I suspect they were busy trying to achieve a more premium suburban commuter area, like Eagles Landing, they didn't focus as much on business development in the early years.

They allowed alot of residential development to get near the freeway and didn't create and many non-interstate road connections going parallel. I suspect they were trying to take advantage of development being close to Lake Spivey and was trying to encourage a more premium residential growth radiating from that area.

The problems these counties face is residential developments always have the demand first, business development comes second. So the county has to try hard to stay ahead of the game in planning to deter residential developers from developing premium sites along the freeway and in areas that might have industrial might surround later on.