Tech Square, established in 2003 in Midtown Atlanta, has grown to become the Southeast’s highest density hub of startups, corporate innovators, and academic researchers across its 115-acre footprint. As Georgia Tech prepared to develop the last significant parcel in the district’s heart, the university recognized that this keystone development required a district-wide approach to ensure continued vitality of the surrounding innovation community. The challenge was connecting people, ideas, and placemaking strategies that would leverage Georgia Tech’s international reputation and expanding research enterprise while strengthening the urban realm that supports innovation activity. 

Working with a collaborative design team, HR&A developed a refined vision for the innovation district by identifying and applying best practices in placemaking, real estate value creation, and governance. The strategic plan HR&A delivered provides Georgia Tech with concrete guidance for the new anchor building’s programming, establishes enhanced district branding through transportation and open space improvements, and creates a governance framework led by the university. These recommendations confirmed the significant economic returns that successful innovation districts generate for stakeholders while establishing a planning approach that strengthens connections between Georgia Tech’s campus and the broader Atlanta metro region, positioning Tech Square as a vibrant nexus for regional innovation activity.