In the latest of a host of Atlanta City Council President candidate forums, opponents Marci Collier Overstreet and Rohit Malhotra talked park pedigrees for the Greenspace Forum hosted by nonprofit Park Pride.
It comes in the midst of a heated race with tense interactions and accusations of xenophobia between the duo. Most recently, the pair faced off in a contentious Atlanta Press Club debate. But the Oct. 16 virtual candidate forum looked at greenspace first, and the candidates admitted they agreed on a few issues.
Overstreet touted a lengthy greenspace resume from her eight years in office as the District 11 City Councilmember, with work on the tree canopy and new sidewalks in her district. While the councilmember said she never planned to fall in love with greenspaces, she said she would keep up her years of commitment as the council president.
“We live in a city that’s in a forest, and so I’ve been at the table the entire eight years, trying to preserve our trees and speaking up for our density,” Overstreet said.
Malhotra kept his focus on policy and city promises, like a need for more funding in the budget and a commitment to keeping up the tree canopy. He said Atlanta is the “city in the forest,” but it has failed to keep up with its promise to have 50 percent tree coverage by 2023.
“My vision is that I want people to continue to refer to the city as a city in the forest, but we have to actually practice that as well,” Malhotra said.
Atlanta has spent years improving its parks and greenspace landscape as the widely known “city in the forest,” and in 2025 it received a best-ever finish in 21st place for the Trust for Public Land’s annual ParkScore.
In 2024, Atlanta was ranked 25th. In 2016, it was ranked 51st. The annual list ranks park systems in the 100 most populous cities. Now, Atlanta is solidly in the top 25 — thanks to private and public investment, major park improvements and a new Piedmont Park master plan.
Still, experts said Atlanta has room to improve its amenities, like permanent restrooms, dog parks, playgrounds and splash pads. It also needs more “unexpected acreage” and a plan to handle the onslaught of flooding and stormwater issues that plague the city streets.
Both candidates said the city needed to add infrastructure to absorb flooding, like the popular Old Fourth Ward retention park. Overstreet said Atlanta needs “another water mayor” ready to invest millions into infrastructure. Malhotra said the city needs an equity-focused geographic approach to the stormwater system.
Still, each candidate had a different focus as they answered questions at the forum. Overstreet said she had “proven” experience working in greenspace, citing work like a new historical marker at the Cascade Springs Nature Preserve. She also said the city has acquired over 600 acres of land that will be converted to greenspace since she took office — more than the previous 12 years combined.
“While on council, I’ve been able to have a deep vision about what our greenspaces could look like, and not just dream it up, but I’ve done field trips and actualized new greenspace in my district,” Overstreet said.
Malhotra hasn’t held office before, so the candidate pulled from his nonprofit executive background and public policy expertise to talk about the parks system. He kept it technical: the city needs to start with the budgeting process, “put dollars next to the plan” and measure performance to figure out what works.
“To me, it’s about accessibility, it’s about comfortability,” Malhotra said. “It’s about safety, it’s about livability, but it’s also about equity.”
He said the city should add “anti-displacement dollars” on the front end of the budget to ensure that longtime residents don’t get pushed out by “greening areas” and the development that follows. The dollars would theoretically offset property tax increases.
Malhotra also floated the idea of “social impact bonds” as a creative way to fund park dollars without relying on federal funds. Overstreet also said the city’s budget should “absolutely reflect the importance of prioritizing greenspace.” Atlanta has a $57 million parks and recreation budget for FY2026 — up about $5 million from the year before.
In their closing statements, each candidate expressed their commitment to the so-called city in the forest. Malhotra said Atlanta needs new leadership that “understands green space advocacy isn’t just about trees.”
“To have good green infrastructure is a necessity, and it can be life-changing or life-threatening, depending on the leadership that is driving an agenda and a vision forward,” Malhotra said.
Overstreet countered Malhotra by saying she’s “principled and proven,” and the city can’t have “gimmicks and trickery.”
“We have acquired 600 new acres of parks and natural areas under my watch,” Overstreet said. “It is so important to understand that because it is directly tied to the quality of life.”
Early voting runs now through Oct. 31 at select locations, and election day is on Nov. 4. All city residents can vote for the Atlanta City Council President.
