The group describes Midtown as having emerged as a “powerful innovation district,” thanks to anchor institutions like Georgia Tech, saying the neighborhood is “a blend of commercial enterprise, arts and cultural attractions, higher education, residential living, and greenspace.”

Georgia Tech started expansion into the Midtown area with the Tech Square project that opened in 2003. The vision was to revamp a blighted neighborhood into a new urban “main street” connecting campus to Midtown through research, innovation, and retail ventures.

Tech Square is now home to innovation centers for Fortune 500 companies such as AT&T and Delta Air Lines, and is the future home of NCR’s world headquarters. The project is recognized nationally as a standard of urban development.

The APA says anchor institutions such as Georgia Tech are using Tech Square to bridge technology, health care, and the arts to “foster innovation among corporations, startups, and entrepreneurs in Midtown Atlanta.”

The APA also highlights Midtown Atlanta’s walkability, thriving arts scene, and wide range of food, music, and sports events as creating one of America’s preeminent urban neighborhoods.

According to the American Planning Association, the Great Places in America program recognizes streets, neighborhoods, and public spaces in the United States demonstrating exceptional character, quality, and planning—attributes that enrich communities, facilitate economic growth, and inspire others around the country.

Midtown Atlanta was selected along with Nob Hill in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Downtown Santa Ana, California; Old Louisville, Kentucky, and Downtown Warren, Rhode Island.