HISTORY
John
A. Williams, founder of Post Properties, Inc. and supporter of CQGRD,
and Catherine Ross, CQGRD Director, at the 2004 Open House.The idea for the Center emerged in 1993 at the conclusion of the Atlanta region's VISION 20/20 process, where local leaders identified the need for an interdisciplinary "think tank" to address the challenges and opportunities posed by development. In response, John A. Williams, the founder of Post Properties, Inc., created the Harry West Chair of Quality Growth at Georgia Tech with a $1.5 million endowment. The holder of the Harry West Chair serves as a member of the Georgia Tech City and Regional Planning faculty, and also directs the Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development. The chair is named in honor of Harry West, who served for 27 years as director of the Atlanta Regional Commission.
In 2003, CQGRD was officially established to address quality growth issues for the Atlanta area and to serve as a national and international model for advancing quality growth and regional concerns. Through collaboration, analysis, and implementation, the Center has been designed to help communities near and far better manage their growth.
Located in Georgia Tech's Technology Square - a redevelopment project that encompasses several city blocks and connects Tech's campus to Atlanta's Midtown neighborhood - the Center and its surroundings were designed in accordance with quality growth principles. Looking outside the Center's windows, it is possible to see the positive results of thoughtful, quality development - an active street life, a mix of uses, and a knitting together of Atlanta's urban fabric. The Center works with researchers, designers, developers, government officials, and others to enable the creation of more places like Technology Square. As a transdisciplinary entity dedicated to fostering collaboration among organizations, CQGRD is uniquely positioned to provide the theoretical and practical tools to help our cities and towns facilitate quality growth.
