For many years, Midtown Atlanta consisted of sporadic high-rise development (islands, if you will), rising from a seemingly endless sea of asphalt parking lots.

But since the economy has roared back to life in the past five years, many parking lots have perished as new towers and mid-rise ventures have been constructed.

While it’s easy to get down about the remaining, vibrancy-killing parking lots scattered throughout Midtown, below is a visual reminder that things are getting better, from a densification standpoint.

Keep in mind this isn’t even a comprehensive list—other parking-lot cemeteries in Midtown span from The Connector to the cusp of Piedmont Park—but it lends perspective on how much has changed in a relatively short time.

Other former lots on Spring Street have been taken over recently by swanky student housing towers Square on Fifth (left) and University House: