Greene Family Learning Gallery, High Museum of Art| CatMax Photography

The lofts of Midtown bring with them a subtle but powerful message. Lofts were pioneered decades ago primarily by artists and entrepreneurs looking for more space without leaving the great cities. The refinement of the loft concept here in Atlanta means imagination is part of our economic development. Midtown is particularly fortunate in this way.

Imagination without enterprise doesn’t build economies, but together they add up to something real.

 

Especially Today

Even the largest corporations place the value of intellectual property and knowledge-based industries at the forefront of their plans in today’s economy. And the nimble energy of small business entrepreneurs and creative enterprises form the very engine room of Atlanta. What makes Midtown so well equipped for this economic development profile, in part, is that we built here a living environment that is just as supportive of growth as our working environment. The people who drive the 21st century economy make fewer compromises on quality of life than previous generations did, and so refining the experience of living in a great city creates real value.

Being born as a crossroads, Atlanta was always in a good position for creativity. Where ideas converge, invention and enterprise flourish. Research confirms that people exposed deeply to different ideas perform more creatively. The combination of divergent thinking and convergent thinking that occurs here is tailor-made for innovation and progress. You can see this energy in motion around Atlantic Station, to take one excellent example.

 

Art as Inspiration

Art plays a real role in economic development; you can look it up. This fact goes way beyond speculation, and a Creative Vitality Index (CVI) has been developed that establishes that relationship in both correlation and regression analyses.

Art has several advantages, as an element of the economy, including the fact that it is inherently local – it can’t be outsourced – it attracts tourism dollars, and it activates other elements of the economy like fashion, cuisine, publishing, entertainment, and digital design – all important elements of the Atlanta economy. For example, would Atlanta have surpassed L.A. in film and TV production if not for the presence of creative people who offer the profusion of skills that moviemaking requires?

Atlanta appears in several top-10 lists of America’s best arts communities. This speaks to the scalability and the long legs of Atlanta’s growth in value. Our city is not only based on the strength of a wide range of industries, but we also count among them what might be called a “source industry.” Art is a breeding ground of ideas and passions and skills that can both drive and serve the inevitable changes that come with progress.

For more information on how to own at District Lofts, visit https://owndistrictlofts.com/contact/ or contact us at 404.317.1896.

Atlanta Magazine Pixel