Celebrating a decade of building a safer, greener, and more connected Upper Westside.

Upper Westside CID’s motto: A Bias Towards Action

A decade ago, this stretch of Atlanta looked different. Fewer trails. Fewer places to walk to. A district known more for what it used to be than what it was becoming.

Ten years later, that’s changed. The Upper Westside Community Improvement District was built around a simple idea: being an organization with a bias towards action. Making incremental improvements to create a place where explosive growth doesn’t stifle community or connection. 

This month marks 10 years of putting that idea into practice and we’ve transformed community ideas into meaningful projects by chasing every grant, winning 46 overall, and bringing in more than $36M to invest in projects and studies that make everyday life better for the people who live, work, and visit here.

Building a More Connected Community

The top priority identified in the 2021 Upper Westside Masterplan was investing in diversifying how people safely move throughout the district.

From new sidewalks and multi-use trails to pedestrian safety enhancements and roadway improvements, our CID’s investments have created stronger connections between neighborhoods, businesses, greenspaces, and gathering places.

We’ve built two off-road trails – The Spur and Woodall Rail Trail which expand access to and from regional trail systems like the Beltline and the Silver Comet trails. We’ve added cycle tracks along Brady Avenue, 10th Street, West Marietta Street. We’ve filled in a critical sidewalk gap on 17th Street. 

As each project is completed, another piece of the network comes together, making the Upper Westside more accessible than ever before. We’re proud of the last 10 years but we know the next 10 will be our best yet!

Creating Places People Want to Be

Great communities include places where people can gather, explore, and enjoy their surroundings and neighbors. 

The Upper Westside CID has heavily invested in creating new greenspaces, pocket parks, streetscape enhancements, beautification, and public art.

Whether you’re taking a walk, commuting by bike, or visiting a local business, we hope you find some respite and joy in one of CID-create public spaces: 

Supporting Local Businesses

A thriving community supports local businesses.

Since 2023, we’ve partnered with restaurants, retailers, developers, and community organizations to showcase everything that makes the Upper Westside unique through one annual event – Westside Stride. The event has grown into the area’s largest block party featuring live music, local food vendors, a bespoke maker’s market, and lots of Upper Westside businesses turning out for a day to remember on Howell Mill Road. This year’s event will be Sunday, November 8th from 12-6PM.

What’s to come? Take a Look at Our Growing Connectivity!

We have exciting projects on the cusp of breaking ground like the Chattahoochee Avenue Multimodal Improvements project, complete with a multiuse path, pedestrian lighting, new traffic signals, and operational improvements to the Howell Mill intersection (yes, that means you won’t be waiting 3 light cycles to turn onto Howell Mill anymore!). 

We’ll be kicking off the engineering design of the Huff Road widening project between Westside Provisions District and The Mill at Westside, bringing an addition travel lane and a much anticipated multiuse path. 

We’ve secured funding to advance the Collier Road Multimodal project from an early design concept to fully engineered construction documents. 

We’ll be advancing our largest grant award ever (from the federal government) – Westside Thrive – $16M to better connect Shirley Franklin Park to Georgia Tech by improving various intersection operations, bus stops, and bike/pedestrian access. 

These are just a handful of the projects that will keep us busy for the next few years! As our community continues to evolve, we’ll remain committed to thoughtful planning, strategic investment, and partnerships that create lasting impact.

Through your support, the first 10 years have laid an incredible foundation.

The next chapter is just beginning!

Thank You

To our property owners, business owners, residents, public agency partners, and everyone who has supported our work over the past decade—thank you. Your collaboration, ideas, advocacy, and investment have shaped the Upper Westside into the vibrant district it is today.

To our Board of Directors, thank you for your vision, leadership, and unwavering bias toward action. Your willingness to move ideas off the page and into reality has been the driving force behind our organization’s success and the lasting improvements now enjoyed throughout the Upper Westside.