A.J. Robinson, President, Central Atlanta Progress (CAP) /Atlanta Downtown Improvement District (ADID)

In an interview with Focus:, A.J. Robinson, president of Central Atlanta Progress (CAP) and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District (ADID), discussed downtown revitalization, mixed-use growth, equitable housing, and public-private collaboration. “Our greatest opportunity in the coming decade is to continue on this path and shape a downtown that truly supports the people who live, work, and visit here.”

What changes over the past year have most impacted the organizations you lead and the work they do in downtown Atlanta?
The most exciting part of the past year has really been looking ahead to 2026, when the world comes to Atlanta, as it does to most major North American cities. That has given us a clear point in time where everyone is focused on how best to present the city to the World Cup visitors arriving for eight games next June.

Atlanta is no stranger to major events. We’ve hosted Super Bowls, Final Fours, and recently a massive international soccer tournament. But this one is unique. It’s created an opportunity for everyone to rally and get things done.

This past year has been about preparing for that. Most of the activity will be concentrated in downtown, and the city, the state, and local venues are all aligned on addressing critical improvements before then.

We’re also seeing major development projects push to be ready by that time. Centennial Yards and in South Downtown, for example, are accelerating to have a good portion open before next June. Centennial Yards, formerly known as “the Gulch,” was historically neglected as it sits over a web of railroad tracks and is a challenging area of 40 to 50 acres. There’s been little attention paid to this part of the city for decades, so seeing it activated again is very exciting.

We’re also continuing long-term infrastructure efforts like the Stitch, which will cover part of the downtown highway with a green park on the northern side of our core. It’s a complex project that’s been in the works for decades, and while it has a longer timeline, we’re making meaningful progress.

So, all together, these initiatives represent the momentum from the past year and carry us into a critical period ahead.

What role has the rise of mixed-use urban districts played in shaping your approach to revitalizing downtown Atlanta?
Over the past 20 years, there’s been a rediscovery of urban Atlanta across neighborhoods like Ponce City Market, the Beltline, Krog Street, East Atlanta, West Midtown, and Downtown. The urban core is experiencing a renaissance with population growth, new development, and historic buildings being reimagined.

Mixed-use has become the model. Rarely are these standalone projects. More often, it’s older buildings being converted into retail spaces with housing above or innovation hubs. Atlanta has embraced this form of development, largely driven by young people and families moving into the urban core.

Downtown, as the oldest part of the city, fits naturally into this trend. It holds many of Atlanta’s historic buildings and character-rich spaces. As I mentioned earlier regarding South Downtown, especially, there’s a smaller-scale, mixed-use district emerging, blending tech, residential, and legacy entrepreneurial spaces that shaped the city’s origins.

This trend is now extending to suburban Atlanta. While the buildings there may not be as old, there’s growing recognition that this is what the market wants. Trails like the Beltline are inspiring similar projects, and even traditional shopping centers are being reimagined into livable, workable spaces. It’s a movement that shows no signs of slowing down.

How has the current economy impacted capital flows into revitalization projects, and what barriers remain to large-scale reinvestment?
The biggest challenge for urban cores like Atlanta is what to do with older office buildings. This is a national issue that was accelerated by COVID, remote work, and companies becoming more efficient.

There’s simply less demand for office space, especially in buildings that lack the amenities needed to compete with work-from-home flexibility. Newer buildings have the upper hand; older ones are struggling.

We’re addressing this by identifying strong candidates for conversion, whether into housing, hotels, or something else. But these conversions are costly and complex. These buildings weren’t designed for residential use, so retrofitting them takes serious planning and resources.

That’s where we’re working closely with city development partners to enhance the tools available to developers. The city has some useful incentives, and we’re advocating to expand them to make these conversions more feasible.

This is probably the most significant issue facing downtown Atlanta today, and it’s not unique, as urban centers across the country are dealing with the same overhang of outdated office space.

How is your organization leveraging public-private partnerships to advance redevelopment efforts?
Atlanta has a long history of public-private collaboration. The business and civic communities here work closely with the city, county, state, and federal governments. It’s a very open, civically engaged city.

Nearly every major project in Atlanta, from the airport to Centennial Park, the Beltline, stadiums, and cultural attractions, has involved some form of partnership between government and the business community. That’s the model we promote.

Our organization focuses on identifying efforts that neither the city nor the business community could accomplish alone. Then we help build a framework to bring each side’s strengths to the table. The business community contributes creativity, entrepreneurship, and vision; the city brings fiscal tools and a tax base to support execution.

It’s a system that works well in Atlanta. Projects like the Stitch are strong examples of public-private collaboration. Hosting the FIFA World Cup is another milestone, requiring cooperation between local businesses, the city, and the state.

Almost everything major in Atlanta has some element of shared effort, and that approach is part of what sets the city apart.

How is the organization working with others to ensure equitable housing strategies in the downtown core?
Our organization has been focused on affordability for several years. Historically, Atlanta has been one of the more affordable major cities in the South, which has attracted people seeking opportunity and growth. But that’s changing quickly. The city is becoming less affordable.

The good news is there’s strong leadership around this issue. Our mayor has made affordability a top priority, and the civic and business communities have rallied behind that goal. There has also been significant philanthropic investment aimed at increasing affordability.

The mayor set a goal of 20,000 new housing units, and we’re already more than halfway there. Like everything else, it’s expensive and complicated, but we’re making real progress.

Downtown Atlanta, in particular, is proud to be a diverse marketplace. It likely has the highest concentration of affordable and market-rate housing units in the city. Nearly every housing project built downtown over the past 10 years has included some level of affordability; sometimes with incentives, sometimes without.

We want to foster a mixed-income community. That’s reflected in the results so far, especially compared to other parts of Atlanta. While there’s always more to do, in our area, any housing project that seeks city support or incentives through Invest Atlanta must include some component of affordability.

What are the organization’s top priorities over the next five to 10 years?
Our biggest opportunity, and one we’ve been working toward for some time, is building a more livable downtown.

Historically, downtown Atlanta has served as the commercial, civic, and cultural heart of the city. It’s the postcard image of Atlanta. But despite that, it hasn’t always been an ideal place to live, even though there are housing units and major universities nearby.

We’re on a mission to change that. Our focus is on improving infrastructure across the board: roads, bike paths, lighting, parks, and services for the unhoused. Every improvement is aimed at making downtown more livable and attracting private capital to invest in new housing.

Downtown already has a strong foundation. We have a vibrant hospitality sector, major events, thousands of hotel rooms near attractions and convention facilities, and a cluster of educational institutions. All levels of government, federal, state, county, and city, are located here. MARTA provides excellent transit access, and the road infrastructure is strong.

The challenge now is making all of this more livable. We are focused on increasing density. Unlike many communities that resist it, we welcome it. We also welcome diversity and have been advancing steadily toward these goals for several years.

Our greatest opportunity in the coming decade is to continue on this path and shape a downtown that truly supports the people who live, work, and visit here.