Foster + Partners has unveiled details of their master plan for the Centennial Yards site in Downtown Atlanta. Designed in collaboration with Perkins+Will, the project forms part of a $5 billion transformation of former parking lots and railyards into a regenerated mixed-use development.

The scheme evolved from a close study of the historic city grid for Atlanta and surrounding neighborhoods, with the goal of creating a walkable urban environment that celebrates outdoor life. The new updated plan, shaped by previous consultation exercises, increases the walkability of the urban environment and seeks to blend in style and scale with adjacent communities.

The design team describes the new pedestrianized routes, shared surfaces, and landscaped plazas as “a vibrant public realm that can accommodate a broad range of experiences and opportunities, while providing outdoor gathering spaces for all Atlantans.” The complete scheme will host a variety of functions within the urban blocks, including offices, hotels, retail, and a range of residential apartments.

“We believe this project is a unique opportunity to stitch the fabric of this great city together with state-of-the-art buildings, amenities and public spaces that will transform this part of Downtown Atlanta,” says Armstrong Yakubu, Senior Partner at Foster + Partners. “Creating a new 50-acre walkable, mixed-use city center, it is designed to welcome pedestrians, bring neighborhoods together and to be sustainable for generations to come.”

News of the scheme follows shortly after Foster + Partners revealed the design of the tallest tower in Greece, and one month after Apple opened its restored Foster-designed Tower Theatre in Downtown LA. Other recent schemes of note by the firm include a $2 billion Beverly Hills mixed-use development and the PGA Tour global headquarters. Earlier this month, meanwhile, the RIBA announced the winner of the 2021 Norman Foster Travelling Scholarship.