The Return of the Public Developer: Learning from Atlanta

Join us for presentations and a panel discussion focused on recent innovations in public sector-led development in Atlanta, featuring:

• Michael Green, founder and managing partner of Sophy Companies, a minority-owned, Atlanta-based firm that is part of the team selected in 2023 to redevelop the downtown Civic Center.
• Terri Lee, who in January 2024 was appointed President and CEO of Atlanta Housing (AH), the city’s housing authority. Lee, who previously was AH’s Chief Operating Officer, has also served as the city’s Chief Housing Officer.
• John Majors, CEO of Atlanta Urban Development, a nonprofit corporation created by the city and AH in 2023 to lead the redevelopment of public land. Major also runs The Oughtness Group, a development, consulting, and investment firm focused on helping communities create and unlock value in neighborhoods.
• Catherine Buell, the moderator, currently is a Loeb Fellow at GSD. Buell, who created and oversaw Amazon’s Housing Equity Fund, also served as CEO of the Atlanta Housing Authority, chair of the D.C. Historic Preservation Review Board, and executive director of the St. Elizabeth’s East Campus in Washington D.C.’s Ward 8.

This event is in-person only (no registration required). 

Hosted by The Return of the Public Developer, a GSD studio course being taught by Susanne Schindler, a Design Critic in Urban Planning and Design. Co-sponsored by the Joint Center for Housing Studies.