Mission

The Center for the Comparative Study of Metropolitan Growth undertakes to advance dialogue, academic exchanges and research relating to the challenges facing the physical and built environment in Atlanta and around the world. The Center’s work proceeds on the belief that our urban and metropolitan centers can only remain viable places to live and work with deliberate and flexible planning that taps the expertise of a number of disciplines. At the center of such planning are lawyers who will help craft workable laws and regulations. The Center promotes inter-disciplinary programs that involve lawyers and law students with a wide range of other professionals - land use and economic planners, business people, engineers, and government regulators.

Why "comparative" research? By 2007, the United Nations estimates that over 50% of the world’s population will live in and around cities. To date, the problems of growth have not been comprehensively studied on a basis that compares experiences across continents and countries. The Center aims to help fill that void.

Why "metropolitan"? By selecting the word "metropolitan", the Center aims to convey that its focus extends well beyond the urban core to include all of the areas - suburbs, suburbanizing fringe, "edge" and satellite cities that comprise today’s urban landscape.