From left: Doug Hooker, Ramsey Cohen, Tobias Peter, Maribeth Feke, Mayor Knox White, Ann Hanlon,
Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson, Chairwoman Lisa Cupid, Michael Paris

On Friday, August 9, 2024, the Council for Quality Growth hosted more than 400 attendees at City Springs for its 4^th annualThe INTERSECTION Quality Development Conference. This event is product of the Quality Growth Institute, the education arm of the Council. The INTERSECTION convened public policy and private business leaders from across the region to discuss critical issues facing metro Atlanta. The theme of the 2024 event was “Building a Strong Foundation: Where Housing & Infrastructure Meet,” which continued much of the conversation on increased housing options and affordability from the 2023 event. The Council positioned housing as a form of critical infrastructure to the region. 15 expert speakers filled a four-part program with in-depth discussions around these two topics, bringing both national ideas and local perspectives to the table. Doug Hooker, former Executive Director of the Atlanta Regional Commission, served as the master of ceremonies. 

Attendees were Council for Quality Growth members and businesses representing various sectors of development, including real estate, infrastructure, economic development, government, and community organizations. Over 100 elected officials from the region’s 89 local governments were in the crowd at City Springs. The Council works at the intersection of public policy and private investment, and The INTERSECTION Conference brings these two sides together to discuss common challenges and uncover new solutions. In the effort to advance the mission of the Council for Quality Growth and the Quality Growth Institute, this event provides an educational platform for private business and local governments to learn from one another, share ideas, and foster strategic partnerships that move our region forward.

Mayor Knox White of the City of Greenville, South Carolina delivered the keynote address to begin the day. He shared the success story of Greenville, and how intentional planning and deliberate partnerships made it the city that it is today. In his 29 years as Mayor of Greenville, White says he prioritized residential development in the core of his downtown, walkability, and greenspace. This, along with capitalizing on the city’s natural landmark, shows firsthand how proper public sector investment in infrastructure leads to private investment and transformational economic growth.

A local mayoral panel followed the keynote, featuring Mayor Beverly Burks of the City of Clarkston, Mayor Rusty Paul of the City of Sandy Springs, and Mayor Vince Williams of Union City. Despite being very different in geography, demographics, size, and resources, all three of these metro Atlanta communities endure similar pain points growth. Kyle Wingfield, President & CEO of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation moderated this discussion on building cities for capacity.

Part two explored innovation in housing, both policy and products. Tobias Peter, Senior Fellow at American Enterprise Institute and national housing policy expert, delivered a data driven presentation on adding market rate housing. With statistics and case studies across the U.S., Peter outlined the “Housing Abundance Success Sequence” of ways local communities can increase their housing supply.  Ramsey Cohen, VP of National Sales at Clayton and national manufactured housing expert, then presented an innovative housing product that’s right here in the City of Atlanta. The CrossMod® home is 70% factory-built and is delivered to and finished on a foundation. It is a cheaper and faster way to build single-family housing, and it is completely indistinguishable from a traditional site-build. Clayton focuses on housing products that increase attainability and home ownership in communities. Two Clayton CrossMod® homes exist in the City of Atlanta, one of which is currently on the market.

Part three focused on this intersection between housing and infrastructure with a case study on the 2 Peachtree office conversion project downtown. Egbert Perry, Chairman & CEO of The Integral Group, gave an overview of the ambitious development, the infrastructure challenges that come with office-to-residential conversion, and the impact it will have on the community it will serve. He shared renderings of what he plans to build where the 41-story office tower sits vacant today, and he encouraged the audience to consider the underutilized office space in their own community. “Everyone has their own 2 Peachtree,” Perry said. 

The Atlanta Regional Commission also gave an update on regional initiatives around housing and infrastructure. Woodstock Mayor Michael Caldwell, who currently serves as Vice Chair of the ARC, spoke on the concept of regionalism before inviting Anna Roach, Executive Director, to join him on stage. “Think about the biggest issues facing our region today,” said Caldwell. “Transportation, climate and resilience, economic development, water resources…These challenges aren’t isolated to any one city or county. They affect all of us. As such, they require a collaborative, regional approach.”  Roach discussed the specific ways that ARC is facilitating these collaborations to secure funding for major housing and infrastructure projects across the Atlanta region. 

Part four concluded the half-day agenda with content focused on transit expansion. First, Maribeth Feke, Director of Programming & Planning for the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, shared her own bus rapid transit (BRT) success story. Cleveland’s HealthLine BRT has been operational for nearly 15 years and has seen more than $9.5 billion in investment as a result. An entertainment district and business incubator have appeared on the BRT route, along with revived education and healthcare campuses. The bus looks and rides like heavy rail but was much cheaper and faster to implement. Feke says one of the greatest advantages to BRT is its adaptability.

Feke’s story was presented as a pretext to the final piece of content. Gwinnett and Cobb counties both have transit expansion programs on the ballot this November that include a major element of BRT. Cobb Chairwoman Lisa Cupid and Gwinnett Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson sat down with Ann Hanlon, Executive Director of the Perimeter CIDs and 2019 Chair of the Council for Quality Growth, to discuss their transit plans and the significance of connecting the region in this way. Both Cobb and Gwinnett have proposed a mix of BRT, increased county ride bus service, county-wide micro-transit, added transit and transfer facilities, and technological advancements to improve the existing routes. The Council strives to educate our region to better understand these programs and the importance of regional connectivity. More information about the Cobb Mobility SPLOST and Gwinnett Transit SPLOST can be found at CouncilforQualityGrowth.org/TRANSPORTATION. 

This is the 4^th year the Council has hosted The INTERSECTION Quality Development Conference to educate the region on critical development issues. “The INTERSECTION is a perfect example of the Council’s commitment to fostering collaboration among private and public sectors in the Atlanta region,” said Sally Riker, 2024 Char of the Council for Quality Growth. “By convening these experts and sharing ideas, we find tangible solutions to the unique challenges in our communities and set our future generations up for success.”

A full recording of the event will be made available for re-watch in the coming days at www.CouncilforQualityGrowth.org/INTERSECTION.