Decatur Envy:

So many — some from as far away as New Jersey — have clamored for time with Lyn Menne, Decatur’s director of community and economic development, that she organizes group tours just for expediency’s sake.

On these occasional “smart growth” tours, visitors walk along Ponce de Leon Avenue, the main artery downtown, where higher-density housing, mixed-use buildings and MARTA tie together to encourage walking.

The plan, roughly 25 years in the making, has helped transform this dusty jewel into a sparkling small city.