North Point Creative Placemaking Plan Alpharetta, GA

Services Provided

Placemaking Design
Public Engagement

People Involved

Darren Meyer
Donald Zellefrow

Award

2020 Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) Development of Excellence Award for Visionary Planning

Positioning a commercial corridor for future investment with creative design, public art, and wayfinding

Today, the North Point district of Alpharetta is home to a regional indoor shopping mall and a “big-box alley” of national retailers and restaurant chains. The area was developed in the early 1990s with one mode—the automobile—and few uses—mostly commercial with limited office—in mind; and it still operates as originally intended, with wide roads and hundreds of acres of surface parking. The future of North Point, however, will be vastly different than its present. MKSK worked with the City of Alpharetta and North Point property owners to consider the district and develop a plan to uncover its true potential as a mixed-use center at the heart of a growing regional economy with significant opportunities for redevelopment, recreation, and cultural celebration.

Working closely with stakeholders and the community, MKSK prepared a Creative Placemaking Plan to stimulate investment, enhance safety, and improve walkability along the North Point Parkway and throughout the district. The study provides recommendations for streetscape enhancements, wayfinding signage and monumental features, and the integration of smart technology into the public realm, all of which will encourage walkability and provide for the safe movement of pedestrians, bicycles, and vehicles throughout the North Point area. The plan recommends a diversity of creative uses of underutilized spaces and public art opportunities to enrich the district’s environment and transform it into an interactive destination for residents and visitors alike. With access to transportation options, housing choices, community activity centers, and public spaces, North Point will be positioned to become a desirable, livable community within the Atlanta metro area.

North Point PARKway

District Threshold Concept

District Threshold Concept

District Threshold Concept