Edge City 2.0

State Farm complex at sunset from Hammond Drive droneThe City of Dunwoody, Dunwoody Development Authority, Discover Dunwoody, Perimeter Chamber, and Perimeter Community Improvement Districts are collaborating on a seminar series exploring growth options for Dunwoody's Perimeter area. The Edge City 2.0 Study serves as the strategic blueprint for the series titled “Edge City 2.0: Shaping Tomorrow's Perimeter.”

Edge City 2.0 Report

The series will delve into critical aspects of growth and development, including economic vibrancy, housing options, transportation enhancements, greenspace initiatives, and community activities. Each session will feature presentations and panel discussions. providing participants with valuable insights and opportunities for collaboration.

Session Two: Evolving Suburban Housing Options - Thursday, November 7, 2024, 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. This session will examine the evolving landscape of suburban housing and address the wide-ranging needs and preferences of residents. Use this link to register.

Session Three: Energizing the Future of Retail - Thursday, February 6, 2025, 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. This session will focus on strategies to energize retail spaces and discuss innovative retail concepts, placemaking initiatives, and community engagement strategies to create vibrant retail destinations.

Session Four: Emerging Office Market - Thursday, May 1, 2025, 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. This session will examine the emerging trends and opportunities in the office market. From flexible workspaces to technology-driven office environments, attendees will study ways to attract and retain businesses in the Perimeter area. 

For more information about table sponsorships or to purchase a ticket for the August seminar, use this link.

Past Sessions:

In August 2024, renowned Georgia Tech Urbanist Ellen Dunham Jones explored the latest trends and innovations in suburban development and compared the Perimeter Market to similar districts across the country.

In the news: Edge City 2.0 takes center stage in Dunwoody - Dunwoody Crier July 2024


Edge City Study

The Vision 

The success of Perimeter Center in Dunwoody, Georgia as a regional activity center can be attributed to the popularity of the area as a workplace for many major employers and a retail destination with Perimeter Mall at its core. As a part of the rapidly growing Atlanta region, now is the time to think about the Perimeter Center’s future. 

Edge City 2.0 is a blueprint for strategic growth and defines the preferred future of the area based on collective input from elected officials, the DeKalb Board of the Perimeter Community Improvement District, major property owners, governmental partners, and community members. The plan focuses on activating Perimeter Center—with greenspace, mobility enhancements, and more—for residents, area workers, and visitors to enjoy.

Inside the Project

Edge City was a joint effort between the City of Dunwoody and the Perimeter Community Improvement District (CID). It was carried out in close coordination with a consultant team led by Pond & Company. Funding for the study was provided by a grant from the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) through the organization’s Livable Centers Initiative Program (LCI). An LCI grant of $120,000 was matched with $30,000 from the City of Dunwoody for a total project cost of $150,000. 

You can learn more about the project here: www.dunwoodyedge.com

Several community engagement meetings were held throughout 2022, and the final report was released in January 2023. The Edge City 2.0 project involved evaluating and understanding Perimeter Center’s current land use, development patterns, transportation network, surrounding cultural and natural resources, demographics, economics, and the needs and wishes of the community. At the end of researching and developing multiple visions for the future of the Perimeter Market, Pond & Company provided the City and its partners with an implementable roadmap for the next 20 years.

Project Goals

  • Build a community-supported vision for Perimeter Center that reflects current conditions and 20-year build out.
  • Identify transportation investments that provide for safe movement of pedestrians, bicycles, and transit in, through and around the Perimeter area.
  • Develop case studies of comparable edge cities that provide real world examples of what the district could look like under chosen growth scenario.

In the news:

Dunwoody to host 'Edge City 2.0' seminars to discuss future of Perimeter area (Rough Draft, July 2024)

Edge City 2.0 takes center stage in Dunwoody (Dunwoody Crier, July 2024)

Where will the new buildings rise in Perimeter Center? Parking lots. - Atlanta Biz Chronicle, March 2023

How Dunwoody is plotting sustainable growth, with empty-nesters in mind (Atlanta Business Chronicle, October 2022)

Dunwoody sets open house to discuss Edge City 2.0 (Dunwoody Crier, October 2022)

Shape Our Future: Dunwoody to craft plan for reenergizing Perimeter Center (Atlanta Business Chronicle, September 2022)

Dunwoody envisions future development around Perimeter Center (Dunwoody Reporter, Aug. 2022)