The Chamblee City Council has approved a massive new development project that will add more than 700 homes and tens of thousands of square feet of retail to the quickly growing city.
The city of Chamblee, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta located in DeKalb County, has approved zoning changes for the development of 62 parcels, yielding 700 homes and 20,000 square feet of retail uses.
Zachary Hansen reports on developer Thrive Residential's (a subsidiary of Toll Brothers Inc.) plan to build the Chamblee Park development on 31 acres near Interstate 285 and Peachtree Boulevard.
The new development mostly provoked support from residents and city leaders, "with the only point of contention being access to the site," according to Hansen. The City Council did impose 13 conditions for the rezoning: "The site will be built around Parsons Drive and Deacon Lane, realigning the existing roads, adding sidewalks and creating a central roundabout. A shuttered church building and a few standalone homes in the area will be demolished as part of the project."
Prior to the City Council's vote, "the developer had to seek and obtain approval from the Atlanta Regional Commission to continue" due to the size of the project, according to Hansen.
"The project will boost housing stock in Chamblee, which experienced a higher rate of population growth than any other DeKalb County city over the past decade. According to the 2020 Census, Chamblee’s population grew 205% since 2010, which city leaders chalked up to several annexations," adds Hansen for context.
FULL STORY: Chamblee rezones site for sprawling mixed-use development with 700 homes
Cities in the South and West Keep Sprawling
New suburbs continue to expand into previously undeveloped areas, putting strain on local resources.
A New Metropolitan Blueprint for Texas
Traditionally associated with its wide-open spaces, Texas is now, undeniably, defined by the cities and suburbs that comprise its built environment.
Report: Sprawl Threatens to Swallow the Planet
By 2030, cities will have tripled in size since 2000. Unmanaged, incessant growth is threatening the planet, according to a new report from the World Resources Institute.
The Right to Mobility
As we consider how to decarbonize transportation, preserving mobility, especially for lower- and middle-income people, must be a priority.
America’s Best New Bike Lanes
PeopleForBikes highlights some of the most exciting new bike infrastructure projects completed in 2022.
Early Sharrow Booster: ‘I Was Wrong’
The lane marking was meant to raise awareness and instill shared respect among drivers and cyclists. But their inefficiency has led supporters to denounce sharrows, pushing instead for more robust bike infrastructure that truly protects riders.
L.A. County Towns Clash Over Homelessness Policies
Local governments often come to different conclusions about how to address homelessness within their respective borders, but varying approaches only exacerbate the problem.
A Mixed-Use Vision for Houston Landfill Site
A local nonprofit is urging the city to consider adding mixed-use development to the site, which city officials plan to turn into a stormwater detention facility.
Milwaukee County Makes Substantial Progress on Homelessness
In 2022, the county’s point-in-time count of unhoused people reflected just 18 individuals, the lowest in the country.
Town of Palm Beach
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
York County Government
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Fitchburg, WI
City of Culver City
Sonoma County Transportation Authority
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
