{"673942":{"#nid":"673942","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Can Metro Atlanta Handle 1.8 Million More Residents?","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EContinued growth will transform metro Atlanta, and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlantaregional.org\/news\/the-atlanta-region\/metro-atlanta-population-to-reach-7-9-million-by-2050-arc-forecasts-show\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAtlanta Regional Commission\u003C\/a\u003E (ARC) projects 1.8 million new residents across the 21-county region by 2050.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe increase would bring the regional population to 7.9 million, but to accommodate that growth, Georgia Tech experts say improvements in the housing, transportation, and labor markets must be made.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003EHousing\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe five-county core around Atlanta \u2014 Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb, DeKalb, and Clayton \u2014 will account for nearly half of the new residents and continues to grow. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/planning.gatech.edu\/people\/gregory-randolph\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGregory Randolph\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of City and Regional Planning, says the region must start by reexamining its approach to urbanism as new census data shows Atlanta has become the sixth most-populated metro area in the country.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022For the second half of the 20th century, little of the population growth in metro Atlanta was happening in the City of Atlanta, but that has changed over the past two decades. With the urban core growing, we have an opportunity. to pursue a different kind of urban form that is higher density and more walkable. A lot of the recent growth in Atlanta is adding density without necessarily improving the quality of urbanism.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHe explains that, especially in downtown Atlanta, retrofitting existing properties will play a key role in transforming neighborhoods through the replacement of \u0022lower-value infrastructure,\u0022 such as surface parking lots, with higher-density housing. In a post-pandemic environment, the conversion of office space to mixed-use properties is emerging as a strategy in urban areas \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.axios.com\/local\/atlanta\/2024\/01\/30\/atlanta-office-apartments-housing\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Elike Atlanta\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA 2023 report \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.kbagroup.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Housing-at-its-Core-ULI-Study.pdf\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eidentified the need for 391,878 housing units\u003C\/a\u003E within the five-county core at the current population level. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/planning.gatech.edu\/people\/mike-dobbins\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMike Dobbins\u003C\/a\u003E, professor of the practice in the School of City and Regional Planning, credits efforts made by the mayor\u0027s office and nonprofit organizations such as the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/atlanta.uli.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EUrban Land Institute\u003C\/a\u003E to increase availability.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We\u0027re living in a situation where housing values are too high because big money investors are bidding up real estate prices throughout the region. Even nationally, it\u0027s double the rate of wage increases. The biggest question is how can we bring down housing costs,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERandolph and Dobbins agree that addressing Atlanta\u2019s housing needs is more complicated than simply adding supply.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur priority must be building housing that is affordable to low- and middle-income households, and in a way that promotes mixed-income, walkable neighborhoods with equitable, car-free access to amenities like parks, schools, and community-serving retail,\u201d Randolph said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nLabor\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAlong with population growth, the region will add an estimated 856,000 jobs, with significant gains in healthcare, technology, and waste management. To maintain a labor force that can fill the jobs of the future, Dobbins stresses that continued investment in K-12 education, especially in traditionally underserved communities, is vital to accommodate new growth and overcome existing challenges of inequity.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAtlanta has the highest income inequality in the nation. According to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.atlantawealthbuilding.org\/racial-wealth-gap\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ethe Atlanta Wealth Building Initiative\u003C\/a\u003E, the average white family\u2019s median income is $83,722 compared to $28,105 for Black families and $43,110 for Latino families. That gap widens when examining wealth, which for white households is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/buildblackwealth.info\/#continue\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E46 times higher than that of Black households in Atlanta\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe ARC study notes that \u0022virtually all the net growth will come from racial and ethnic minority groups.\u201d Randolph points to policy as a necessary tool in improving workforce development for current and future residents to support equitable and inclusive growth across the region. He adds that institutions like Georgia Tech can play a role in expanding access to the advanced degrees often needed to fill the jobs created by the city\u2019s emerging status as a technology hub, with an emphasis on ensuring access to these degrees among historically disadvantaged groups in the city.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003ETransportation\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe other 900,000 projected new residents will reside among the remaining 16 counties in the Atlanta region. The ARC predicts the most rapid growth in Forsyth, Barrow, Paulding, Cherokee, Walton, and Coweta, and the need for affordable housing will extend to the surrounding counties, as will the need to travel throughout the region.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ryangravel.com\/about-2\/\u0022\u003ERyan Gravel\u003C\/a\u003E, the Georgia Tech alumnus and mind behind the Atlanta BeltLine, says transit improvements are needed to ensure each county is connected to Atlanta\u2019s city center. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u201cWe haven\u0027t made a substantial new transit investment since 2000,\u201d he said. \u201cMeanwhile, the region has grown substantially since then. We haven\u0027t been laying the foundation for that future growth, which means it will come in ways that we don\u0027t want: more traffic, more congestion, and more inequities in communities of color.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGravel, founder of the consulting firm Sixpitch, rejects adding lanes to existing highways, saying that strategic improvements to MARTA \u2014 the rail system constructed in 1979 \u2014 will reduce traffic while allowing residents to live outside of the five-county core.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAs the saying goes, the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago,\u201d he said. \u201cThe second-best time is now. We didn\u2019t do it 20 years ago, but we could start now.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn his 2024 State of the City address, Dickens announced plans to construct a new MARTA rail station on the Southside at the Murphy Crossing redevelopment project site, connecting the system to Beltline for the first time. The mayor revealed preliminary plans to add three infill MARTA stations throughout the city, however, specific locations were not announced.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EPlans to add a portion of the light-rail system around the BetlLine are currently under review, with construction on the Streetcar East expansion project \u2014 extending Atlanta Streetcar service from downtown Atlanta to Ponce de Leon Avenue \u2014 projected to begin construction in 2025 and begin service in 2029. In 2025, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.itsmarta.com\/summerhill.aspx\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMARTA Rapid Summerhill project\u003C\/a\u003E will begin service from downtown to Capitol Gateway, Summerhill, Peoplestown, and the BeltLine through dedicated bus lanes with transit signal priority to bypass traffic.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003EA \u201cBeloved Community\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Atlanta region\u2019s transformation will not happen overnight, but anchor institutions like Georgia Tech can contribute along the way. Randolph sees current plans to revitalize portions of the city\u2019s Westside as an example of how neighborhoods can be revitalized for current residents while simultaneously building with future growth in mind.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s important that we continue to play a positive role in not just physically developing the Westside but also thinking about how we can strengthen the economy of Westside neighborhoods through our own procurement and purchasing practices. It\u0027s an example of how Georgia Tech, as an engine of economic development, can play a positive role in propelling that growth while ensuring that the growth is inclusive.\u201d Randolph said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe solutions to the ARC\u2019s projected growth will not be cheap or easily attained, but as Gravel points out, it\u2019s an opportunity for Atlanta to honor its past as it marches toward its future, aspiring to Martin Luther King Jr.\u2019s idea of the beloved community.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe prosperity of the metropolitan region stands on the shoulders of the Civil Rights Movement,\u201d he said. \u201cIf that\u0027s who we are when we\u0027re at our best, then we should use that as a model for how we move forward. How we accommodate that future change should be based on decisions to ensure that this place is a place for everyone.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech experts examine how the Atlanta region can prepare for the projected addition of nearly 2 million residents by 2050.  "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech experts examine how the Atlanta region can prepare for the projected addition of nearly 2 million residents by 2050.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech experts examine how the Atlanta region can prepare for the projected addition of nearly 2 million residents by 2050.  "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2024-04-03 15:12:20","changed_gmt":"2024-04-04 18:52:55","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-04-04T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-04-04T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"673595":{"id":"673595","type":"image","title":"Atlanta Long Exposure Shot","body":null,"created":"1712157543","gmt_created":"2024-04-03 15:19:03","changed":"1712157543","gmt_changed":"2024-04-03 15:19:03","alt":"City of Atlanta traffic from above. ","file":{"fid":"257011","name":"17C10203-P18-005.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/03\/17C10203-P18-005.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/03\/17C10203-P18-005.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":9082489,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/04\/03\/17C10203-P18-005.jpg?itok=bUcaQ_K0"}}},"media_ids":["673595"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1134","name":"City of Atlanta"},{"id":"176275","name":"Atlanta growth"},{"id":"12994","name":"housing market"},{"id":"112911","name":"atlanta transit"},{"id":"88241","name":"labor market"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E - Institute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}