Registration Now Open for The INTERSECTION 2026
Members: $115 Non-Members: $135
Register Now
This year, The INTERSECTION will explore how artificial intelligence is transforming the development industry and the built environment. From site selection and underwriting to construction, infrastructure, and permitting, AI is changing the way developers, investors, designers, contractors, AND public officials interact to move projects forward. The AI era has arrived. Join us this August to learn more about how AI is making calls and changing the way the development game is played. See you at #TheINTERSECTION.
In its 6th year, The INTERSECTION is a place where public policy and private investment meet to discuss metro Atlanta’s critical issues, hear best practices, and stay educated on topics as they relate to metro Atlanta’s ability to grow and prosper. The INTERSECTION is a product of the Quality Growth Institute, the Council for Quality Growth’s education arm and an established 501(c)(3) organization.
CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT HOURS AVAILABLE:
4.0 CE Credit Hours for Realtors (approved by GREC)
4.0 AICP CM Credit Hours for Planners (approved by APA GA)
4.0 PDH Credits for Engineers (self reporting)
AUGUST 14, 2026 • 7:00 AM – 12:30 PM
The Byers Theater
Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center
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#TheINTERSECTION is a product of the Quality Growth Institute, the education arm of the Council for Quality Growth and a 501(c)(3) organization. The 2026 INTERSECTION Conference is approved for the following credit hours for realtors, planners, and engineers:
FEATURED CONTENT
This year, The INTERSECTION will explore how artificial intelligence is transforming the development industry and the built environment. From site selection and underwriting to construction, infrastructure, and permitting, AI is changing the way developers, investors, designers, contractors, AND public officials interact to move projects forward. The AI era has arrived. Join us this August to learn more about how AI is making calls and changing the way the development game is played. See you at #TheINTERSECTION.
The built environment is the largest, slowest-moving, and most capital-intensive sector of the economy—and one that has struggled for decades to improve productivity while demands on it continue to grow. Housing affordability, climate resilience, infrastructure needs, and changing patterns of how people live and work are exposing a system under increasing pressure.
Keynote speaker, urbanist, futurist, and two-time Jeopardy champion GREG LINDSAY joins #TheINTERSECTION to explore why traditional approaches are no longer enough—and how AI, digital transformation, and new models of collaboration could unlock a more productive, resilient, and responsive development industry. Rather than simply automating existing processes, the opportunity ahead is to reconnect fragmented workflows, turn data into decisions, and create a built environment that delivers more value for communities, investors, and future generations.
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how development projects move from concept to completion. Join us at #TheINTERSECTION for this panel of industry leaders as they discuss practical applications of AI across the development lifecycle, including site selection, design, permitting, and construction. This conversation will move beyond theory to highlight real-world use cases, lessons learned, and where AI is creating opportunities for greater speed, efficiency, and competitive advantage across the development project lifecycle, from decision-making to design and delivery.
As AI accelerates demand for data centers, the intersection of water and energy is becoming one of the most important planning challenges facing Georgia’s communities. This session explores how utilities, developers, and local communities are preparing for the infrastructure demands of the AI economy.
Data centers are the central to conversations of today’s digital economy, bringing significant capital investment, tax revenue, and economic opportunity to local communities. Yet the decisions around regulating their development are far more complex than simply saying “yes” or “no.” Energy demand, water resources, land use, infrastructure capacity, noise considerations, workforce investment, public sentiment, and long-term community planning all play a critical role in shaping local policy.
Join Commissioners from DeKalb, Douglas, and Henry Counties for a discussion of the real considerations local governments must weigh as they evaluate their local ordinances around data center development—balancing economic competitiveness and investment with infrastructure realities and the expectations of the communities they serve. Gain firsthand insight into how elected officials are navigating one of the most consequential growth and policy discussions facing our region today.
Featured Speakers
Mike Alexander
Chief Operating Officer
Atlanta Regional Commission
Michael Caldwell
Mayor
City of Woodstock
Greer Gallagher
Senior Vice President
Holder Construction
Jeff Hiller
Co-Founder & CEO
Alynea
Adam Hodges
Development Associate
DOMINIUM
Doug Hooker
Master of Ceremonies
Commissioner Chakira Johnson
DeKalb County
District 4
Commissioner Whitney Kenner Jones
Douglas County
District 2
Commissioner Kevin Lewis
Henry County
District 5
Greg Lindsay
Urbanist-in-Residence
University of Toronto’s School of Cities
Saba Loghman
Managing Partner
Under New Management
Greg Mullin
Managing Principal
AECOM
Amol Naik
Principal
Resurgens Strategies
Jonathan Noble
Senior Director of Government Affairs and Infrastructure
Microsoft
Michael Olajubutu
Region Executive, Metro South
Georgia Power
Michael Owens
Mayor
City of Mableton
Rusty Paul
Mayor
City of Sandy Springs
Sara Ray
President & CEO
Douglas County Chamber
Councilmember Matt Westmoreland
City of Atlanta
Post 2 At Large
Katherine Zitsch
Director of Water Strategy
Metro Atlanta Chamber
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See you at #TheINTERSECTION on August 14.
Rewatch The INTERSECTION 2025
Part I:
Part II:
RE-WATCH PAST INTERSECTION CONFERENCES
The INTERSECTION 2024:
Building a Strong Foundation
The INTERSECTION 2023:
Collaborate & Compete
The INTERSECTION 2022:
Innovation in Georgia
The INTERSECTION 2021:
Innovate or Die
The INTERSECTION is the Council for Quality Growth’s Quality Development Conference that annually convenes the public and private sectors for an in-depth discussion of critical issues to our region and how we compare to national trends. The INTERSECTION was developed as a means of education and information for our members, partners, and other industry professionals, with a sharp focus on the most relevant trends and issues affecting the growth and development industry from year to year. The INTERSECTION Conference is a product the Quality Growth Institute, the education arm of the Council for Quality Growth and an established 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the state of Georgia.
