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This property has a lot of history—as the original Bowen Homes was demolished in 2009 due to unsafe living conditions and deteriorating infrastructure. While this transition was necessary, it also displaced many residents who lived there for generations. The goal of the new Bowen Homes is to bring some of these legacy residents back—and give them an affordable home they can be proud of.
The first part of a six-phase urban development project, this multifamily community is designed to offer quality, affordable housing to an underserved southwest Atlanta neighborhood. With a total of 151 apartments in six buildings, 65% of the units, including the townhomes, are reserved for affordable housing and 7% are workforce housing for local police officers and teachers. Along with the typical amenities of a modern apartment community, there is also a youth room where kids and teens can get tutoring and access to other services.
As designers and site planners, we understand how history and memory can affect people’s connection to home. In this case, we wanted former residents to get excited about the prospect of coming back to Bowen and take part in its design. The initiative to redevelop the area began in 2020 with a series of meetings to gather community input, listen to former residents’ hopes and desires and invite them to be an integral part of the process.
