Atlanta is using the 2026 World Cup to turn Underground Atlanta into a walkable, low‑carbon district built on adaptive reuse, smart streets, and local business.
Most cities treat mega-events like the World Cup as a flashy two‑month sprint. Atlanta is quietly trying something harder — turning a global sports moment into a long-term, low‑carbon reboot of its historic core.
Underground Atlanta, a four‑block district that’s been everything from a railroad hub to a 1980s mall, is being rebuilt again. This time, the focus isn’t just nightlife and tourism. It’s walkability, adaptive reuse, safer streets, and a downtown that actually works for residents after the last fan leaves Mercedes‑Benz Stadium.
This matters because green technology isn’t just about solar panels and batteries. It’s also about how we redesign streets, buildings, and districts so they consume less energy, rely less on cars, and support local economies. Atlanta’s World Cup preparations are a live case study in how smart cities can align big events with climate goals.
In this post, I’ll break down what’s happening at Underground Atlanta, why it’s a smart sustainability move, and what other cities — and private developers — can learn from it.
How a 2026 World Cup Site Became a Testbed for Green Urban Design
Atlanta is using the World Cup as a deadline to make downtown more walkable, safer, and less car‑dependent, especially around Underground Atlanta.
The district sits just steps from the Five Points rail station, which is already a huge advantage for any green redevelopment. Instead of building new structures or parking garages, the current owner, Shaneel Lalani, and design teams from Page (now part of Stantec) are focusing on:
- Pedestrian‑only streets on key blocks
- Adaptive reuse of historic buildings instead of demolition
- Day‑and‑night activation so the area stays busy and safer
- Infrastructure that serves locals first, tourists second
Here’s the thing about large events like the World Cup: they can supercharge bad planning just as easily as good planning. Cities can pour money into car‑centric highways and temporary venues that sit empty after the event. Atlanta is trying to flip that script by anchoring its upgrades in:
- Long‑term transit accessibility (Five Points as the front door)
- Low‑carbon construction choices (reuse over rebuild)
- Public realm improvements that reduce reliance on private vehicles
From a green technology perspective, this isn’t about one shiny product. It’s a systems move — where design, policy, and tech all push in the same low‑carbon direction.
Pedestrian‑First Streets as Climate Infrastructure
The fastest way to cut urban transport emissions is to make walking and transit the default, not the backup plan. Underground Atlanta is being redesigned around that idea.
Two blocks of Upper Alabama Street are already pedestrian‑only, with a portion of Pryor Street set to follow. The new public realm design threads a tricky needle:
- Wide pathways that can handle food trucks, maintenance, and emergency vehicles
- Physical barriers and layout that prevent high‑speed vehicle attacks
- Safer, greener streetscapes with better lighting and urban greenery
This isn’t just about comfort. It has direct climate and health impacts:
- Fewer private vehicles in the core mean lower local emissions and pollution.
- Shaded, well‑lit streets make walking feel safer and more viable year‑round.
- Clear wayfinding — especially for international visitors — helps shift people from ride‑hailing to transit + walking.
Where green tech fits into pedestrian zones
If you’re planning or investing in similar districts, there’s a layer of smart city technology that can quietly make this work:
- Adaptive LED street lighting that dims when streets are empty and brightens as foot traffic increases.
- Sensor‑based crowd analytics to monitor how people actually use streets and plazas, so you can refine layouts instead of guessing.
- Real‑time wayfinding via apps and digital kiosks, guiding visitors from stadiums and stations along the safest, most vibrant walking routes.
The reality? When you combine car‑free streets with smart lighting, data, and clear wayfinding, you’re not just creating a nicer experience. You’re building climate infrastructure — streets that quietly push thousands of daily trips away from cars.
Adaptive Reuse: The Greenest Building Is the One You Already Have
The most climate‑friendly construction strategy isn’t a futuristic material. It’s not demolishing what already works.
Underground Atlanta’s new phase leans hard into adaptive reuse. Many buildings will be retrofitted rather than replaced, keeping what Phuong Nguyen from Page calls the district’s “gritty” authenticity while opening the doors to new uses.
One standout example: the Antebellum‑era Macon & Western Railway building at Pryor and Upper Alabama. Instead of tearing it down, the team is:
- Converting it into a 7,000‑square‑foot “micro” food hall
- Prioritizing local restaurant startups and affordable lunch options
- Keeping the historic shell, character, and much of the embedded carbon
From a green technology perspective, adaptive reuse is a massive win:
- Reusing the structure can cut embodied carbon by 50–75% compared with new construction, depending on how much is preserved.
- Retrofitting allows integration of modern HVAC controls, high‑efficiency lighting, and smart meters without the emissions cost of a full rebuild.
- “Light touch” upgrades keep construction waste and material transport low.
Practical moves for greener adaptive reuse
If you’re involved in similar projects, there are a few high‑impact choices that pair design and tech:
- Smart building controls: Layer in building management systems that optimize HVAC, lighting, and plug loads based on occupancy.
- Envelope upgrades from the inside: Use interior insulation, air sealing, and high‑performance glazing where possible to respect facades while cutting energy use.
- Sub‑metering for tenants: Give small businesses live visibility into their own energy consumption; this alone can reduce use by 10–20%.
I’m biased here, but I think cities should actively reward this kind of work. Every adaptive reuse project is a quiet climate policy: less steel, less concrete, less waste, and a faster path to net‑zero buildings.
Local Business, 24/7 Activity, and the Energy Footprint of a District
Most people don’t think of local business strategy as part of green technology. They should. A district’s energy footprint isn’t only about building systems — it’s about how often those buildings sit dark and empty.
Lalani’s team has already filled the underground level with art galleries and music venues hosting more than 700 shows a year. That took a dead mall and turned it into a nightlife engine. The next step is pushing that vitality up to the street level.
That’s where:
- The micro food hall
- Affordable commercial spaces
- Safer, greener streetscapes
…all work together. A district that’s busy day and night:
- Uses its existing infrastructure more efficiently (transit, lighting, utilities)
- Feels safer, which pulls even more residents and visitors out of cars
- Supports shorter, local trips rather than long commutes to far‑flung malls or entertainment districts
How smart systems keep a lively district efficient
A high‑activity area can still be energy‑efficient if the tech is configured intelligently. For example:
- Dynamic HVAC scheduling tied to event calendars and occupancy sensors, so energy ramps up only when crowds actually arrive.
- Smart lighting zones where plazas, alleys, and facades are grouped and controlled based on real‑time use.
- Shared energy infrastructure — think district cooling, rooftop solar shared across tenants, or battery storage to smooth evening peaks.
Done right, a dense, mixed‑use urban district can have lower per‑capita emissions than spread‑out neighborhoods, even if it looks busier and brighter. The key is using technology to match energy use with real demand — and retiring the default setting of “everything fully on, all the time.”
What Other Cities Can Learn Before Their Next Mega‑Event
The World Cup is a forcing function. Atlanta doesn’t have the luxury of a 10‑year master plan; 2026 is right around the corner. That kind of pressure can be a gift if leaders focus on the right things.
Here’s the approach I’d copy if you’re planning for a major sport or cultural event:
1. Start with transit and walking, not parking
- Make the primary arrival experience car‑free: rail station + safe, vibrant walking routes.
- Use universal wayfinding (clear signage, maps, digital guidance) so visitors aren’t forced into ride‑hailing out of confusion.
2. Lock in adaptive reuse as the default
- Set a policy or internal standard that favors reuse of existing structures for fan zones, food halls, and hospitality.
- Pair design teams with energy and carbon consultants early so sustainability isn’t bolted on later.
3. Design streets for people first, security second, cars last
- Turn key corridors into permanent pedestrian or low‑car streets, not just “fan festival zones” that revert to traffic.
- Integrate vehicle‑mitigation design (bollards, planters, chicanes) into the architecture, not as last‑minute barriers.
4. Use tech to make the green option the easy option
- Real‑time routing to transit, bike share, and walking paths.
- Smart lighting and energy management so the public realm feels safe and welcoming without wasting power.
If your city or company is serious about green technology, mega‑events shouldn’t be exceptions to your climate strategy. They should be accelerators.
Turning Short‑Term Attention Into Long‑Term Green Value
Underground Atlanta shows what happens when a historic site, a looming World Cup, and a growing climate agenda intersect. The district’s transformation isn’t perfect, but it’s pointed in the right direction:
- Pedestrian‑only streets that support lower‑carbon mobility
- Adaptive reuse that slashes embodied carbon while preserving character
- Smart, small‑scale spaces for local business instead of generic big‑box retail
- A strategy that thinks beyond 2026 and aims to bring residents back downtown
For our Green Technology series, this project is a reminder that the most impactful climate tech often looks like city design. It shows up as a closed street, a reused brick wall, a micro food hall in a railway building, or wayfinding signs guiding fans from a stadium to a transit hub.
If you’re a city leader, developer, or planner looking at your own “World Cup moment” — whether that’s a tournament, major festival, or just a surge in growth — this is the question to ask:
How can this surge in attention help you build the low‑carbon, livable district you’ll still be proud of in 2040?
If you’re ready to translate that question into a roadmap — from adaptive reuse strategies to smart district energy and pedestrian‑first design — now is the time to start, not six months before kickoff.