Established urban-suburban submarkets that offer many or all of the aforementioned attributes include the New Jersey Waterfront, Santa Monica in Los Angeles, and Palo Alto in the San Francisco Bay Area. As a result of the desired workforce already living in the suburban areas, the markets with urban-like environments are well positioned to capture the strong demand of office users. The emerging urban-suburban submarkets are also more often cited for utilizing government invectives, zoning changes or other public commitments to assist development.

Highlights of the report include:

• Suburban office markets with urban characteristics are in the best position to capture occupier demand, and may provide unique opportunities for occupiers to secure space at lower rents and for investors to buy at lower prices in areas that are poised for future growth.
• Occupancy rates and asking rents in emerging urban-suburban submarkets are typically on par with the broader suburban markets in which they are located, while established submarkets tend to outperform. Rents in more than 50% of the most established submarkets also exceeded their downtown counterparts.
• Net absorption and construction activity have been disproportionally concentrated in urban-suburban submarkets to their share of suburban office inventory.

ATLANTA—Atlanta ranked third in the live-work-play dynamics index, behind San Francisco and Houston. That's according to CBRE's North American Suburban Office Trends Report. The report analyzes the characteristics and opportunities of the top 25 suburban office markets within urban areas, which the report names urban-suburban submarkets.

Specifically, the established urban-suburban market in Atlanta is North Fulton. The emerging markets are Central Perimeter, Cumberland Galleria and Northlake/Decatur.

These suburban markets also have the potential to command rents that are at least as high, if not higher, than downtown rents, reflecting strong tenant demand for these locations, CBRE reports. Emerging urban-suburban markets also have the potential to become established submarkets, presenting unique opportunities for occupiers to secure space for lower rents and for investors to buy for lower prices in areas that are poised for future growth.

“These 'urban-suburban' submarkets are characterized by the live-work-play dynamics typical of cities drawing a younger workforce, and includes higher densities of office space, housing and retail, as well as transportation access and other amenities,” Bryan Heller, CBRE senior vice president, tells GlobeSt.com. “As more millennials age and begin families, many will eventually move to the suburbs, and office locations that can provide the urban characteristic this pool of workers has grown accustomed to will be in highest demand.”

Established urban-suburban submarkets that offer many or all of the aforementioned attributes include the New Jersey Waterfront, Santa Monica in Los Angeles, and Palo Alto in the San Francisco Bay Area. As a result of the desired workforce already living in the suburban areas, the markets with urban-like environments are well positioned to capture the strong demand of office users. The emerging urban-suburban submarkets are also more often cited for utilizing government invectives, zoning changes or other public commitments to assist development.

Highlights of the report include:

• Suburban office markets with urban characteristics are in the best position to capture occupier demand, and may provide unique opportunities for occupiers to secure space at lower rents and for investors to buy at lower prices in areas that are poised for future growth.
• Occupancy rates and asking rents in emerging urban-suburban submarkets are typically on par with the broader suburban markets in which they are located, while established submarkets tend to outperform. Rents in more than 50% of the most established submarkets also exceeded their downtown counterparts.
• Net absorption and construction activity have been disproportionally concentrated in urban-suburban submarkets to their share of suburban office inventory.