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Health Connect South still connecting after 13 gatherings
One of my favorite annual events is Health Connect South. It brings together a rich array of people all interested in the same goal — improving health outcomes for everyone. The energy inside and...
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Atlanta’s Kelsea Bond on Beltline light rail: ‘We need to get back on track’
All signs point to a growing consensus for rail along the Atlanta Beltline. The latest development? A proposed resolution by Atlanta City Councilperson Kelsea Bond of support for light rail all along...
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Everyone agrees: more people need to live downtown
Shortly after he bought Underground Atlanta in 2020, Shaneel Lalani acquired a nearby downtown high-rise office building, 34 Peachtree St. It took him years to figure out what to do with the 1960...
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BoardWalk Consulting: recruiting civic leaders to Atlanta and beyond
In October 2012, Crystal Stephens was looking to lead an Atlanta nonprofit. A friend told her to visit with Sam Pettway, the founding director of BoardWalk Consulting, an Atlanta-based search firm...
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Vision to dramatically increase passenger rail in metro Atlanta
Sometimes an idea is so grand it takes one’s breath away. That’s the Grand Plan — creating a rail bypass around metro Atlanta to free up hundreds of miles of track that could be used for passenger...
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Economic mobility lessons from 30 years ago — post-96 Olympics
Let’s travel back in time to 1996 when an influential group of business and civic leaders developed a strategy to feed Atlanta’s economic momentum following the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. An...
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MARTA’s new CEO will set the tone of the transit agency’s future
Three finalists for the top MARTA job were announced Aug. 10, including Jonathan Hunt, who has been serving as the interim CEO for more than a year. The other two finalists are Cleveland Ferguson III...
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Atlanta’s tree canopy hits new low
The City of Atlanta set a goal in 2023 to have a tree canopy of 50 percent. At the time, the Atlanta City Council said the city’s tree canopy “is a well-recognized integral part of the City’s...
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Developer Jim Irwin is creating a city within a city
One could call Jim Irwin an accidental developer. Today, at the young age of 47, Irwin is one of the most respected developers in Atlanta because of his commitment to creating spaces and places where...
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A personal reflection: My parents to me: ‘We are citizens of the world’
As the city was celebrating the FIFA World Cup finale at the Showcase Atlanta celebration at Piedmont Park on July 19, Mayor Andre Dickens paid tribute to when Atlanta held the opening ceremony of the...
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World Cup spotlights downtown and Atlanta’s global flavor
So far, so great! After speaking with more than a dozen civic leaders, the consensus has been unanimous. Atlanta has shined brightly during the past month of hosting the FIFA World Cup. That includes...
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Charlotte’s Sherri Chisholm: ‘We were a victim of our own success’
Once again Atlanta can look to Charlotte, N.C. for insights into improving the region’s economic mobility ranking. But the recent decision to sunset Leading on Opportunity, the organization that...
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At 250, American democracy is in turmoil
As we’re about to turn 250 years old, let’s ask ourselves: Can a divided nation celebrate a united birthday? The United States will turn 250 years old on Saturday, reinforcing its place as the world’s...
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Atlanta gains ground as a city for bicycles
PeopleForBikes gave the City of Atlanta a score of 33 in its 2026 ratings, released on June 17. This is up from just 23 in 2020. The Boulder, Co.-based organization also declared Atlanta as one of the...
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Mayor Andre Dickens: ‘This is a special moment for us’
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens is turning 52 on June 17, and he is taking stock of everything he’s experiencing leading up to his birthday. After the quarterly meeting of the Atlanta Committee for...
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Another blow to local news — nonprofit Atlanta Civic Circle shuts down
The closing of the Atlanta Civic Circle feels like a death in the family. SaportaReport helped launch the Atlanta Civic Circle in 2018, providing a place where journalists could do “deep dive”...
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Justin Cutler to mayor: Atlanta should strive to reach ParkScore’s Top 10
Justin Cutler’s last day as Atlanta’s commissioner for parks and recreation was May 29, completing nearly four years in that position. In an exit interview with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Cutler...
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Georgia eliminates key economic development incentives and tax credits
For the past 12 years, Area Development Magazine has ranked Georgia the No. 1 state for business. Now economic developers in the state are concerned that Georgia’s business-friendly reputation could...
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Coca-Cola’s new CEO Henrique Braun: ‘Atlanta is my hometown’
Henrique Braun, who has been CEO of Coca-Cola Co. for less than two months, already is making his presence felt in Atlanta. Braun welcomed Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens to...
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Atlanta, please give Ted Turner his due
For years, Ted Turner called me Marcia. Finally, one evening I got the courage to tell him my name was Maria. It was the night Ted told the world, while sitting next to then-Atlanta Mayor Bill...
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