While some communities were celebrating Oktoberfest, the Gwinnett Place Community Improvement District decided to do things a little differently. The district celebrated Walktober, an event that encourages organizations to plan walks around metro Atlanta. It is an initiative created by PEDS, a Georgia-based advocacy group dedicated to making streets and communities safe, inviting and accessible. The goal of the Walktober event was to educate members of the Gwinnett Place community about the new initiatives shaping their district.

On Oct. 19, GPCID Executive Director and walking tour guide Joe Allen led a group of business leaders, government officials, real estate professionals and residents on a 1.5-mile walk around Gwinnett Place. The walk began on Satellite Boulevard, where Gwinnett County’s Board of Commissioners recently acquired approximately 10 acres. The acquisition is part of the comprehensive Connect Gwinnett Transit Plan, which aims to expand the existing transit station at Gwinnett Place Mall. The plan calls for the expansion of 7 miles of heavy rail from the proposed Jimmy Carter Boulevard Multimodal Hub to the Gwinnett Place Mall area, along with other transit improvements in the area. The transit referendum is slated for a March 2019 ballot, which citizens of Gwinnett will be voting on.

During the walk, Allen discussed the CID’s efforts to boost the attractiveness and walkability of the area with new and beautified sidewalks, improved streetscape elements, pedestrian lighting, enhanced landscaping and litter removal. He also referenced GPCID’s ongoing efforts to improve traffic flow through infrastructure projects, enhanced intersections and new signal optimization.

As walkers approached the county’s primary commercial core, which generated more than $9.5B in total annual economic output in 2017, they experienced the hustle and bustle of cars whizzing by to offices, retailers and restaurants, and caught a glimpse of the district’s vast improvements and overall diversity. The group passed by Mall Corners, a shopping center across from Gwinnett Place Mall. They walked by the highly ranked Georgia French Bakery & Café and the nationally renowned Breakers Korean BBQ. They also learned about the district’s two hidden green spaces: the 125-acre McDaniel Farm Park and the 67-acre Shorty Howell Park.

Allen also told the group about a number of new mixed-use developments that are in various planning stages. Participants visited four major redevelopment catalyst sites, and made their way across Gwinnett’s first Diverging Diamond Interchange, an infrastructure improvement that eliminates left turns and aims to increase safety.

The Gwinnett DDI is a joint project between Gwinnett County, the State Road and Tollway Authority and GPCID. It has improved traffic flow for the area’s 60,000 cars that use it daily and the hundreds of pedestrians who pass through the area.

GPCID wants to encourage people to get out of their cars and experience the district by foot. To find out more, visit Gwinnett Place CID here.

This feature was produced in collaboration between Bisnow Branded Content and Gwinnett Place CID. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.