Last week, at the American Planning Association (APA) National Planning Conference in Denver, the Gwinnett County 2045 Unified Plan—led by TSW—was honored with the prestigious Quality of Life Award, one of just six national awards given by APA for Excellence in Sustainability. This recognition highlights the plan’s commitment to advancing equitable, resilient, and high-quality communities across Gwinnett County. In addition to this national recognition, the Unified Plan was also celebrated locally by the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) with a Visioning Planning Award in late 2024, further underscoring the project’s broad impact and relevance.

Congratulations are in order for Gwinnett County and all the members of the team who contributed to this success, including Allison Stewart-Harris, Nick Johnson, Roxanne Raven, and Jia Li of TSW. We also extend our appreciation to our exceptional partner firms: Blue Cypress, Atlas, Fourth Economy, Dr. Deborah Johnson (DJ), and Perez Planning + Design. This collaborative effort brought together a diverse range of expertise to tackle complex planning challenges and craft a vision that is both ambitious and actionable.

Over an 11-month planning period from 2023 to 2024, TSW led a comprehensive and inclusive public engagement process that informed every aspect of the final plan. The 2045 Gwinnett County Unified Plan is designed to be a roadmap for growth and development over the next 20 years. Central to the plan is the idea of the Daily Community—a strategic framework that reimagines Gwinnett’s aging shopping centers and activity hubs as walkable, mixed-use destinations where residents can access work, services, and recreation within a 15-minute trip from home.

The plan emphasizes intentional growth, preservation of quality of life, and long-term sustainability, setting a forward-thinking course for one of Georgia’s most dynamic and diverse counties.

Gwinnett County 2045 Unified Plan Receives National APA Award