In a city famed for rising from the ashes, Atlanta is demonstrating a vigorous economic recovery. The recession hit the city’s finance and real estate sectors hard, but investment has steadily returned over recent years. Combined with strong population growth and competitive business costs, these trends have lifted Atlanta’s growth prospects above the national average.
“Steady job growth in key industry clusters makes metro Atlanta an attractive place for new businesses looking to expand or relocate here,” says Brian P. McGowan, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Metro Atlanta Chamber.
As the largest economy in the South by real gross domestic product, Atlanta is expanding in advanced manufacturing, biosciences, clean technology and information technology. Major forecasters have highlighted Atlanta’s potential; for example, regional analyses project continued strength in the near term, and planning agencies forecast significant job growth in the decades ahead.
A major transportation and logistics hub, Atlanta hosts the headquarters of 16 Fortune 500 companies — including Coca‑Cola, Delta Air Lines, The Home Depot and UPS — and is served by Hartsfield‑Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest airport. The city is also pursuing one of the largest transportation and economic development programs in the country, while adding new sports facilities, museums and shopping and entertainment districts.
“The area’s robust higher education network is also a major asset,” McGowan notes. “There are dozens of colleges and universities in the metro Atlanta region, which provide a steady pipeline of talent and research opportunities for area companies.”
The Atlanta BeltLine, the region’s most ambitious redevelopment initiative, will create a network of public parks, multi‑use trails and transit along a 22‑mile historic rail corridor encircling downtown. First conceived in a Georgia Tech master’s thesis in 1999, the project aims to connect dozens of neighborhoods — both affluent and underserved — by 2030.
Progress on the estimated $4.8 billion BeltLine has been gradual since the work plan was approved in 2006; several trail segments and new or renovated parks are already open and heavily used for events such as running series and public art installations. Over the life of the project, roughly 3,000 acres of underutilized land along the corridor will become available for public and private redevelopment, offering substantial opportunities for community amenities and investment.
On a smaller scale, the Atlanta Streetcar Project completed a 2.6‑mile, 12‑station downtown loop in 2014. The streetcar links destinations such as Centennial Olympic Park, Georgia State University and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights with hotels, offices and retail in the central business district. Voters have been asked to consider bond measures to fund broader infrastructure improvements across the city, including roads and sidewalks.
Buckhead Atlanta © Buckhead Atlanta
One highly anticipated development is Buckhead Atlanta, a luxury mixed‑use complex in the Buckhead neighborhood. Spanning six city blocks, the project offers upscale retail, restaurants and cafés, office space and high‑rise residences. Since its initial openings, many high‑end shops and eateries have established a presence, and additional tenants and amenities have continued to arrive.
Buckhead Atlanta positions itself as a premier shopping and lifestyle destination, with concierge services and conveniences designed to enhance the visitor experience, including valet services and on‑site customer amenities that streamline errands while guests shop or dine.
Other major investments in the city include redevelopment of the 20‑year‑old Georgia Dome site within the Georgia World Congress Center campus, which includes Centennial Olympic Park and a large convention center. Recent additions to the complex include a new College Football Hall of Fame museum and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, both of which opened in the past decade and contribute to Atlanta’s cultural and tourism offerings.
City officials are also pursuing redevelopment proposals for the Atlanta Civic Center campus, with the aim of transforming the 20‑acre site into a lively, mixed‑use district with retail, office space and production studios. Those efforts reflect the city’s ongoing commitment to revitalization and its motto of renewal.
SCENIC DRIVES
North Georgia offers scenic drives that highlight the region’s natural and historic attractions. The Appalachian Foothills Parkway, following GA 515 and GA 52, traverses vineyards, waterfalls and farmland. Beginning near Canton at the terminus of Interstate 575, the roughly 60‑mile route provides access to sights such as Amicalola Falls, the Blue Ridge Mountains and portions of the Chattahoochee National Forest.
The Piedmont Scenic Byway, originally an Indigenous trail, runs through eastern Georgia for about 21 miles and crosses pine forests, wildlife refuges and sites tied to Civil War history and indigenous settlements. Traveling along GA 11, drivers can find opportunities for fishing and boating on the Ocmulgee River and explore historic landscapes and battlefields along the route.
For travelers interested in history and literature, the Highway 41 drive to Macon passes the Road to Tara Museum in Jonesboro, inspired by the house depicted in Gone with the Wind. The 50‑mile stretch south on US 41 guides drivers through rolling hills and cherry‑tree lined roads, with chances to stop in historic town squares, visit plantation homes and enjoy regional hospitality along the way.