Regional Excellence Awards

The Regional Excellence Awards Recognize Innovative and Visionary Plans and Developments Across Metro Atlanta.

2024 Regional Excellence Award Nominations Now Being Accepted

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2024 Regional Excellence Awards. These awards recognize planning and development projects in metro Atlanta that enhance the surrounding community and support the goals and policies of ARC’s regional planning work.

There are four primary categories: Visionary Planning, Great Place, Livable Center, and Innovative Development. A description of each category is below:

  • Visionary Planning
    Recognizes a state-of-the-art planning initiative being implemented in a community to achieve lasting progress.
  • Great Place
    Recognizes an inspiring space that enhances a community’s character and provides options for housing, employment, or recreation.
  • Livable Center
    Recognizes a targeted project that significantly advances the implementation of a community’s Livable Center Initiative plan.
  • Innovative Development
    Recognizes cutting-edge development that contributes to the region’s advancement and supports the goals and policies of ARC’s regional planning work.

Nominations will be accepted through June 28, 2024.

Submit a Nomination

The Atlanta Regional Commission’s Regional Excellence Awards recognize projects, plans, and places in Metro Atlanta that exemplify cutting-edge, livable design; enhance the surrounding community; and support the Mission, Values and Goals of ARC’s “One Great Region” Strategic Framework.

The 2023 Regional Excellence Award Winners Recognized at State of the Region

In 2023, ARC presented awards in four categories and named an honorable mention.

Check out the video featuring the winning plans and projects from 2023 and read more about our winners from past years below.

Visionary Planning

Moving Fayetteville Forward
City of Fayetteville and HKS
Moving Fayetteville Forward is a long-range plan that envisions a vibrant downtown that is more pedestrian friendly, safer for bicycling, with new parks and green spaces, and architecture that honors the city’s rich history while also looking to the future.

This vision grew out of an ARC Livable Centers Initiative planning process that featured online surveys, virtual community meetings, and a digital ‘scavenger hunt’ where residents submitted photos of what they liked best about their city. The plan will serve as a guide for developers looking to invest in the community ensuring that Fayetteville remains a great place to live.

Innovative Development

12 Hundred Studios
ARRC Capital Partners, Alexander Goshen, and Tenth Street Ventures
12 Hundred Studios, a renovated apartment complex in the city of Atlanta’s Historic Hunter Hills neighborhood, offers an innovative solution to one of metro Atlanta’s most pressing challenges – affordable housing.

The project was financed privately. The development team was able to keep rents low by converting the building’s 20 vacant units into 40 micro apartments, 10 of which were reserved for people experiencing homelessness.

Great Place

Pittsburgh Yards
Annie E. Casey Foundation
Pittsburgh Yards is an innovative co-working space that has quickly become an economic hub for South Atlanta. The project’s first phase, the Nia Building, is a renovated 61,000 square foot building offering 101 affordable workspaces … along with shared amenities including a conference center, rooftop terrace, amphitheater, and commercial kitchen.

The development of Pittsburgh Yards was community driven. Recognizing the site’s potential, the Annie E. Casey Foundation purchased the property in 2006 and collaborated with area residents on a long-range plan that best meets the needs of the community.

Livable Center

The Lawn and Lawrenceville South Lawn
City of Lawrenceville and the Novare Group
The Lawn, a 5 ½ acre city of Lawrenceville park, and the adjacent Lawrenceville South Lawn mixed-use development, brings new green space, housing, and shops to the city’s vibrant downtown.

The Lawn features a volleyball court, dog park, and amphitheater which boasts an exciting schedule of events. Neighboring Lawrenceville South Lawn is a live-work-play community that includes 15,000 square feet of retail, 159 single family homes, and 426 apartments and townhomes.

This ambitious public-private project fulfills the community’s long-range vision developed almost 20 years ago through ARC’s Livable Centers Initiative.

Honorable Mention

South Park Cottages
Booker Washington
South Park Cottages, a tiny-home community in College Park, makes homeownership affordable in a part of town that is heavily dominated by renters. The 29 homes range from 330 to 600 square feet and amenities include high ceilings, rooftop solar panels, thoughtfully designed outdoor spaces, and a walking trail.

Developer Booker Washington raised much of the capital by crowdfunding, demonstrating how thinking outside the box can bring about meaningful change.

Past Winners

  • 2022 Visionary Planning Award:
    Code Changes and Implementation for a Sustainable Doraville, Presented to the City of Doraville
  • 2022 Innovative Development Award:
    Edgewood – Candler Park Transit-Oriented Development, Presented to Columbia Ventures LLC and MARTA
  • 2022 Great Place Award:
    Avondale Estates Town Green, Presented to City of Avondale Estates and the Avondale Estates Downtown Development Authority
  • 2022 Livable Center Award:
    Stockbridge Amphitheater and Park, Presented to the City of Stockbridge   
  • 2021 Visionary Planning Award:
    East Point City Agriculture Plan, Presented to City of East Point
  • 2021 Innovative Development Award:
    Cottages on Vaughan, Presented to MicroLife Institute and City of Clarkston
  • 2021 Great Place Award:
    Rodney Cook Sr. Park at Vine City, Presented to City of Atlanta and the Trust for Public Land
  • 2021 Livable Center Award:
    City Hall and City Center Park, Presented to the City of Fayetteville
  • 2021 Honorable Mention:
    Trinity Walk Revitalization, Presented to Decatur Housing Authority
  • 2019 Development of Excellence Award:
    Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design, Presented to Georgia Tech
  • 2018 Development of Excellence Award:
    LaFrance Walk, Presented to Kronberg Wall Architects
  • 2017 Development of Excellence Award:
    Parson’s Alley, Presented to the City of Duluth, Fabric Developers, Vantage Realty Partners, Kronberg Wall
  • 2016 Development of Excellence Award:
    Kronberg Wall Offices, Presented to Kronberg Wall
  • 2015 Development of Excellence Award:
    Ponce City Market, Presented to Jamestown Properties 
  • 2014 Development of Excellence Award:
    The Commons at Imperial Hotel, Presented to Columbia Residential, National Church Residences
  • 2013 Development of Excellence Award:
    Oliver House at Allen Wilson, Presented to the Decatur Housing Authority
  • 2012 Development of Excellence Award:
    Historic Fourth Ward Park, Presented to the City of Atlanta Departments of Watershed Management and Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs; Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. and the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership; the Trust for Public Land; and the Historic Fourth Ward Park Conservancy
  • 2011 Development of Excellence:
    Perkins+Will Atlanta Headquarters, Presented to Perkins+Will 
  • 2010 Development of Excellence Award:
    White Provision, Presented to White Provision Development Company 
  • 2009 Development of Excellence Award:
    Suwanee Town Center, Presented to the City of Suwanee, Main Street Corners LLC, Madison Retail, and Bowen Family Homes
  • 2008 Development of Excellence Award:
    Oakland Park, Presented to Urban Realty Partners
  • 2007 Development of Excellence Award:
    West Village, Presented to the Pacific Group, Inc., Branch Properties of Atlanta, and the Highlands Companies of Alpharetta
  • 2006 Development of Excellence Award:
    Woodstock Downtown, Presented to Hedgewood Properties and the City of Woodstock 2005
  • Development of Excellence Award:
    Glenwood Park, Presented to Green Street Properties
  • 2004 Development of Excellence Award:
    Metropolis, Presented to the Novare Group and Wood Partners, Inc.
  • 2003 Development of Excellence Award:
    Technology Square and Centergy, Presented to Gateway Development Services, Kim King Associates, Inc., the University Financing Foundation, and the Georgia Institute of Technology
  • 2002 Development of Excellence Award:
    Milton Park, Presented to Pope & Land Enterprises and AMLI Residential
  • 2001 Development of Excellence Award:
    Old Suwanee, Presented to Richport Properties and the City of Suwanee
  • 2000 Development of Excellence Award:
    • Lindbergh City Center, Presented to Carter & Associates
    • Monarch Village, Presented to Pathway Communities
  • 1999 Development of Excellence Award:
    • Post Riverside, Presented to Post Properties, Inc.
    • Ridenour, Presented to Macauley Properties
Powered by ARC
33°n
CDAP
Community Planning Academy
ConnectA
Empowerline
Georgia Commute Options
Green Communities
LCI
LINK
MARC
Metro Atlanta Speaks
MNG Water Planning District
RLI
State of the Region
UASI
WorkSource GA
33°n
CDAP
Community Planning Academy
ConnectA
Empowerline
Georgia Commute Options
Green Communities
LCI
LINK
MARC
Metro Atlanta Speaks
MNG Water Planning District
RLI
State of the Region
UASI
WorkSource GA