700 Homes Added to a Quickly Growing Corner of the Atlanta Metro Area

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.

1 minute read

October 21, 2021, 11:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


A map depicting the location of Chamblee, Georgia as well as surrounding cities and roads.

SevenMaps / Shutterstock

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.

Wednesday, October 20, 2021 in Atlanta Journal Constitution

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Hot air balloons rise over Downtown Boise with the State Capitol building visible amidst the high rises.

The Five Most-Changed American Cities

A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

April 23, 2025 - GoodMigrations

People biking along beach path with moored ship in San Diego, California.

San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan

The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.

May 2 - SD News

Sleeping in Public

Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts

Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.

May 2 - KSL

Conductor walks down platform next to Amtrak train at station in San Jose, California.

Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement

An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.

May 2 - Streetsblog USA

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.

Senior Manager Operations, Urban Planning

New York City School Construction Authority

Building Inspector

Village of Glen Ellyn

Manager of Model Development

Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO