Perimeter Perspectives

It Immediately Drew Me In

My name is Hanna Kroll and I recently graduated from Georgia Southern University. I am currently doing an internship with the Perimeter Community Improvement Districts (PCIDs). When I first arrived in Perimeter one of the main things that I noticed was the landscaping. In my opinion, landscaping is one of the most aesthetically pleasing parts of a city that, when properly maintained, can create a completely different point of view on an area. This is without a doubt the case for the area of Perimeter thanks to the PCIDs. I have lived in small towns all my life and when I decided to move to Atlanta I was expecting something completely different than what I saw. I was expecting to move somewhere that was extremely busy and overcrowded with big, tall buildings. You can imagine my surprise when I arrived in Perimeter to see trees and plants all along the medians and sidewalks. It immediately drew me in. Of course I didn’t know at the time that the organization that I was going to be interning with was responsible for this distinguished landscaping.

The PCIDs are accountable for the majority of the transportation improvements in the Perimeter area. Improvements such as implementing major roadway improvements along Peachtree Dunwoody Road between Glenridge Drive and I-285 and also along Perimeter Center West from Ashford Dunwoody Road to Mt Vernon Hwy and advocating for a half-diamond interchange at Ga. 400 and Hammond Drive. These developments help to alleviate traffic congestion and provide better access at Perimeter’s busiest corridors.

Since Atlanta was recently ranked number 3 on the list of cities with the worst traffic problems in the nation, anything that can be done to help this situation is a step in the right direction. Installations of pedestrian lighting, improved pedestrian signage, crosswalks and countdown timers throughout the district have also enhanced safety and made Perimeter an exceedingly pedestrian friendly area; it has 8 areas that average a score of 70% which is walkable according to walkscore.com.

Since improving transportation infrastructure is a very important task of the PCIDs, it is easy to overlook how much effort is put into the beautification of this area. Gibbs Landscaping Company is the contractor and uses only grade “A” plant material which lasts the longest and has the best quality, and have a designer on site at all times to oversee that plant material is installed properly. The schematic that Gibbs has developed for the medians provides a design that requires very low maintenance and no long term irrigation. It is an appropriate design consisting of low lying, drought resistant foliage that will grow and prosper in the current median conditions.

Everything from the scenic medians to the decorative traffic signal poles and mast arms (which are painted dark green instead of the usual silver) make the entire area look uniform and well put together. There are planters placed along both sides of the Perimeter Center Parkway Flyover Bridge which include a variety of plants and assorted annuals. Plants such as Crape Myrtles and Knockout Roses give the bridge, as well as the medians and sidewalks around Perimeter, a picturesque charm. In addition to all of the flowering plants throughout Perimeter, there is also an abundance of trees, more so than in many other parts of metro Atlanta. Trees play a major role in keeping the air clean, which I believe is just as important in cities as it is in rural areas and it makes for a much more pleasant living and working environment.

The PCIDs work hard to develop better transportation while also encouraging the preservation of the green spaces that are so valuable to the quality of life and the future of the district. People do not usually consider how important landscaping is however it has a drastic impact on an individual’s perception of a location. It has the ability to make a locale appear cleaner, safer and just an all around better place to live, work and play.

- Hanna Kroll, Intern