ATLANTA—What role do the government and transit-oriented developers play in Atlanta—and nine other North American cities? That's the subject of a Cushman & Wakefield special report called, “Urban Development: Faster Greener Commutes Key to Sustained City Growth.” The results may surprise you.

Beyond Atlanta, the report explores the consequences and solutions of hyper-urbanization within the central business districts of nine other major North American cities. Those cities are: Boston, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Toronto, and Washington, DC.

First off, the report stresses this: Atlanta's ongoing population and job growth will demand public and private lenders to collaborate on major initiatives—including transit-oriented development solutions—to prevent congestion and gridlock from growing worse. Drilling down into Atlanta's market, the report reveals some noteworthy facts.