Built commercial environments are excellent economic drivers, but when an area is adjacent, yet disconnected, to national parkland, real estate investors are not maximizing the potential value of their portfolios.

As development trends made way for more pedestrians and cyclists, developers in a northwest Atlanta submarket tapped Malaika Rivers to structure a connected system for the district.

To accomplish this, Malaika worked with stakeholders, consultants, and government officials on a master plan to retrofit miles of roadway and add new greenways. Efforts identified a 60-mile network of urban sidepaths, greenway trails, and pocket parks for the district.

Assembled in segments by tapping into government funds over time, the effort successfully connected office workers, residents, and visitors. Notably, businesses are now connected to the district’s premier natural asset, 800 acres of protected national parkland.

Altogether, the quality of life infrastructure investments helped attract more balanced growth in a formerly office-heavy commercial center.