ATLANTA DESIGN FESTIVAL

ABOUT

The Atlanta Design Festival (ADF) is a multi-day annual celebration showcasing the diverse creative industries of Atlanta and beyond, offering a broad platform for design professionals, enthusiasts, and the general public to engage with innovative ideas through exhibitions, tours, talks, and workshops. Founded in 2007 by Bernard McCoy and Elayne DeLeo as the first modern architecture tours in the Southeast, the festival has grown to encompass product, graphic, and industrial design, as well as architecture, urbanism, material research, and fashion. Through interactive programming, including exhibitions, professional development opportunities, guided tours of significant design landmarks, and presentations by industry experts, ADF highlights both established and emerging designers while emphasizing creativity, networking, and inspiration across the design community. Its mission is rooted in celebrating design’s capacity to do good and positioning Atlanta as a leading hub of innovation and creativity.

The City of Atlanta Department of City Planning has contributed to the Atlanta Design Festival since 2022, when Doug Young, Director of the Office of Design, presented "Creating an Inclusive and Culturally Vibrant Atlanta," showcasing the Office of Design's work.

In 2023, two tours were featured: Collier Heights: A Glimpse into Atlanta's Past, guided by Dr. Juanita and Mr. Harold Morton, who led a group through the Collier Heights neighborhood, and South Downtown: Breathing New Life into History, guided by April Stammel, Senior Vice President at @SouthDwntn. We also curated a panel for the Creative Futures Conference (also part of the Atlanta Design Festival), called Housing Design for All. The panel featured Jim Irwin, president of New City Properties,  Joel Dixon, co-principal of Urban Oasis Development, and Jacob Vallo, former assistant general manager for Real Estate Development and Asset Management and was moderated by Savannah Sicurella of the Atlanta Business Chronicle. The panel delved into the challenges and opportunities of creating affordable, accessible, and sustainable housing for all Atlantans.

In 2024, a festive approach was created; Open Streets ATL was a daylong celebration of the City’s culture and creative industries in a temporary, dedicated pedestrian-friendly zone on Nelson Street in South Downtown.

In 2025, Breaking Barriers, Building Futures: A Candid Conversation with African American Women Architects, presented in collaboration with the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) was the panel discussion.  The trailblazing women shared their vision, challenges, and experiences in the world of architecture, wherein they make up less than .045 percent of the profession.  

WHY IT MATTERS

The City’s programming within the Atlanta Design Festival highlights the importance of design as a driver of cultural expression, public life, and equitable city-building. By curating tours, panels, and temporary activations in neighborhoods across Atlanta, the Office of Design brings attention to the value of historic places, emerging districts, and community-led futures. This work is presented before local, national, and international audiences, expanding awareness of Atlanta’s design leadership and the communities shaping it. Each engagement broadens public understanding of how design influences the way Atlantans move, gather, live, and shape identity, while also elevating voices historically underrepresented in the design fields. Through this ongoing collaboration, the City reinforces that thoughtful, inclusive design is essential to creating a more connected, equitable, and vibrant Atlanta.