Midtown Alliance pedals hard toward smart growth

Artist’s rendering of the Midtown Alliance’s proposed conversion of the 17th Street to a multimodal complete street.

Credit: Midtown Alliance

Some $20 million in streetscape improvements are coming to Midtown in 2024, Midtown Alliance CEO Kevin Green announced this morning at the organization’s annual meeting.

The goal: To make the district, which holds Atlanta’s highest concentration of office space, into “a safe, vibrant, accessible, and navigable urban district.” The focus of the improvements will be on bike lanes, complete streets, wider sidewalks and safer pedestrian experiences.

Green emphasized that Atlanta’s car-dominated streets must make room for a denser, more urban future. He shared survey data showing that residents and employees are crying out for a better bike, scooter and walking environment.

The Midtown Alliance’s emphasis on “active transportation” dovetails well with its efforts to expand transit opportunities in the district, because biking and walking provide last-mile connectivity from buses and transit stations.

Under Green’s leadership over the past decade, the Alliance has become a regional trendsetter in moving urban environments toward smart growth.