Smyrna Downtown Plan Smyrna, Georgia

Role

Community Planning / Urban Design / Engagement

People Involved

Darren Meyer, Luis Calvo, Sanika Mate, Benjamin Kern

Typology

Downtown

Project Timeline

2025 - 2026

Collaborators

Urban Partners, C2G

Reimagining a walkable, vibrant, and community-driven downtown experience

MKSK led the Smyrna Downtown Redevelopment with imagination and collaboration, bringing fresh energy to the heart of one of Cobb County, Georgia’s most dynamic communities. In partnership with the project team, MKSK studied existing conditions, examined parking and mobility, and crafted market strategies to ensure the vision for Smyrna is both ambitious and feasible. The process has introduced big ideas such as the “Jonquil Mile,” a signature pedestrian-friendly corridor that connects key destinations, while interactive tools like “build your own downtown” have given residents a direct role in shaping what downtown Smyrna can become.

At its core, the project reimagines downtown Smyrna around the nine-acre First Baptist Church site, a once-in-a-generation redevelopment opportunity. This site will be transformed into a vibrant extension of downtown with a mix of shops, restaurants, public spaces, and new housing.

The broader effort aims at creating a downtown area that’s safe to walk, easy to navigate, and enjoyable for all. Thousands of residents have helped shape this process through surveys, open houses, workshops, and festivals. Their input culminated in a preferred vision for Downtown Smyrna designed around six guiding goals: