Hello Atlanta. It’s good to be here. It’s especially good to find ourselves among so many of our partners in city building, all weighing in on what’s good for our city. We’re leaning in to talk about design, because that’s what we know and care about. How do we know good design when we encounter it? What can good design do for our city?
First things first: who are we? The simplest answer is we are a design firm. More precisely, we are a global design firm whose local studio operates out of a LEED Platinum–certified building—which we did in fact design—in the heart of the Midtown Arts District right across from the High Museum of Art. Or to get really technical about it, we are an interdisciplinary design firm, which means that we are architects, landscape architects, interior designers, graphic designers, brand designers, urban designers, and city planners.
Getting precise and technical seems important because it tells you a bit about how we approach design in the city where we practice. It should tell you how deeply we are thinking about design in Atlanta—the city we love—at every scale of urban life, from door handles and sidewalks to developing districts and transportation systems.
In this column, we want to share some of our thinking by getting a little precise and technical with you about design in our city. Month to month, we plan to call your attention to “design moves” that are playing an important role around the city, from the smallest scale to the biggest, and why they matter. (If you don’t know that old Eames documentary, “Powers of Ten,” the time has come. If you find yourself on an Eames kick afterward, check out their classic Molded Plywood Dining Chair in the current exhibit at the Museum of Design Atlanta, just downstairs from our studio.) What’s more, we’ll be calling on our friends in the Atlanta design community to share their thinking, too.
We invite our partners into the conversation because they are critical to our process. Good design is collaborative and requires a diversity of perspectives. We count on our partners for their expertise as well as their willingness to test and challenge developing ideas. Good design depends on good questions.
So we invite you into the conversation, too. We live in and around the city and experience some of the things you experience, but we are eager to know: How is the city working for you? Help us understand what you value. What really irks you about the way our city is built or how our city is changing?
We know you have thoughts and feelings. For one thing, the minute people find out we are designers, the questions come pouring out: Why is my street so dangerous? Why can’t I find parking downtown? Why don’t we do such-and-such like my favorite city does it? Wait—did they ever finish the BeltLine?
Bring it on. We’ll try to tackle some of the answers here—but consider yourself warned: we get really excited about things you might not have noticed before. In fact, that’s another question people ask us when they find out we are designers: Why are you so excited about that? “It’s just a bench.” We think we can show you why it is so not just a bench—or building or street or park—and why you should get excited about it too.
Come on into the conversation. Tell us who you are, here in the comments or send us an email. Or even send us a voice memo! Here’s our address: designandourcity@perkinswill.com. Ask us about what you’re seeing on the ground, and put your burning Atlanta design questions to us: Why is the _____ so ____ in Atlanta? In my neighborhood? On my street? In my backyard?
We want to hear from you. Let’s explore our city together.
Welcome P&W. Just wanted to say what a great idea and thanks for making design a part of our daily news cycle. Of course, thank you Maria for facilitating! One bit of clarification, the building you have so wonderfully ‘renovated’ was originally designed by TVS. Just saying …
Hello, Bill. Thanks for weighing in — and thank you for clarifying the history of the building: TVS designed the original building. We renovated and redesigned the building when we purchased it about 15 years ago. The redesign earned the LEED Platinum certification.
And that raises the larger point about “design and our city”: that no building is the work of just one mind or just one architect. Buildings have many lives — and will need to have many lives to ensure sustainable, resilient cities. We think this makes for a more compelling city. Does everyone agree?
Everything north and west (West Midtown) in the Metro area seems to be booming. At the same time, the area, I would say, generally south of M.L.K. Drive, including broad areas on either side of I-75/I-85S to the airport, and the area south southwest of I-20, is in longstanding and persisting decline? Why is that so, and what, if any vision exists to bring that dynamism south? I’ve lived here off and on for 50 years, in the area of my concern. I’ve watched the area decline and the neglect unfold. I wonder if there are any solutions being considered and, if so, by whom?
***
The vast majority of redesign and expansion work on the Interstate Highways is focused north of I-20 and, more precisely, in the I-285 area between I-75N and I-85N encompassing GA400. And on I-20E outside the perimeter. That work is necessary. I’m concerned that nothing seems to be happening on and around I-20 inside the perimeter. There is a need to correct exceedingly short and misplaced exits and on ramps. And to address the necessary and inevitable challenges posed by the I-20/I-75/I-85 and I-20W/I-285W interchanges. I just don’t get a sense that those tasks are priorities. Is there anything underway that would clarify matters for me?
Thank you for your question, Earl, zeroing in on one of the biggest challenges facing North American cities — the impact of the Interstate Highway system on the history, growth, and development of cities, including ours.
As you must know or can imagine, why cities are disconnected and unevenly developed is the subject of more iterative planning, decision making, and implementation than we can account for here.
However, we can say a bit more about visions and solutions, and we will speak to larger urban systems like transportation in a later column. We’ll also check in with the transportation experts in our sister company Nelson\Nygaard. Stay tuned.
You may already be familiar with Atlanta’s Department of City Planning, which has an Office of Design, but we’ll take this opportunity to direct you and others there. The current city plan, adopted in 2021, is called Plan A, and there are regular opportunities to engage and offer feedback to the city about its progress. A Strategic Transportation Plan and separate Infrastructure Package were adopted in 2022, and they detail the city’s projects and priorities, including highway improvements.