ATL Trains, a proposed mass transportation overhaul for the city, is more than a passion project — it’s Atlanta’s potential. Now, it has an official website to go with it. In early September, ATL Trains officially launched its website, and with it, a central point to direct advocates and skeptics alike to the idea. The […]
Author Archives: Mark Lannaman
Mark Lannaman is a journalist covering climate, energy, sustainability and urban development. He has produced documentaries on topics like urban gardening, food insecurity and gentrification in Atlanta, including one nominated for a 2023 Southeast Emmy. He holds a B.A. from Georgia State University and three M.S. degrees from Georgia Tech, and is interested in how sustainable solutions are realized across different geographies.
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Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza partner with Susan G. Komen for Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Lenox Mall and Phipps Plaza are all in for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. On Saturday, Oct. 21, Lenox Square will host the annual Susan G. Komen Georgia MORE THAN PINK Walk, which is complemented by Shop with a Purpose campaign happening at the two shopping centers all month. Susan G. Komen is a national breast cancer organization […]
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A new Georgia Tech exhibition explores the intersection of sustainability and art, hosts artist talk
A new art exhibit at Georgia Tech titled “Extension of Community: What it Means To Be Sustainable in a Digital World” opened last month on Georgia Tech’s campus. The exhibit examines “what it means to exist in today’s technology-enabled world while ensuring our planet can thrive,” according to the website, adding that it looks to […]
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Black-led nonprofit legal bootcamp kicks off last week
Pro Bono Partnership Atlanta kicked off a bootcamp for Black-led nonprofits last week at the Georgia Center for Nonprofits, who provided the space free of charge. Justine Cowan, senior corporate counsel for Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta heading the program, said Black-led nonprofits often face issues of funding and being short-staffed — particularly during the […]
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Georgia Rivers Gala celebrates 25 years of river protection with a clear message: Protect the Okefenokee
The Georgia Rivers Gala brought together dozens of stewards for Georgia’s rivers, with a clear position on one of Georgia’s most precious natural resources. On Friday Sept. 8 The Georgia River Network celebrated a quarter-century of protecting the state’s rivers and waterways. The event saw guests from Sen. Jon Ossoff to Muscogee (Creek) Nation Chief […]
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Run up a check for education: Atlanta nonprofit hosts annual 5K for charity
Kaleidoscope Child Foundation ran it back with their annual 5K Walk/Run for Education this past weekend. On Sunday Sept. 10, hundreds completed a 5K in Virginia Highlands, with all proceeds going towards the foundation for education. Kaleidoscope began in 2004 after the founder David Ault took a trip to the city of Siem Reap in […]
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Something’s in the air: two Atlanta organizations to initiate air pollution monitoring in underserved communities
The Center for Sustainable Communities (CSC) announced a grant of $498,401 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the study Monitoring Air Pollution in Underserved South Atlanta (MAP-USA). Similarly, AQEarth just announced it would be hosting an environmental justice tour, in conjunction with local groups West Atlanta Watershed Alliance (WAWA) and Community Health Aligning Revitalization, […]
Posted inLatest News, Mark Lannaman
Inaugural Youth Sustainability Development Conference highlights youth role in a clean energy transition
The inaugural Youth Sustainability Development Conference was held in Atlanta this past weekend. The theme of the conference was energy justice. As the world shifts away from fossil fuels and towards a clean energy future, the conference sought to emphasize a just — fair and equitable — transition, and why it’s important the youth of […]
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The College Football Hall of Fame offers free admission to kick off the college football season
The College Football Hall of Fame is kicking off football season with a treat — free admission. On Saturday Aug. 26 the venue will be open to all, free of charge, for Football Fest & Free Day to celebrate the new football season. Kimberly Beaudin, president and CEO of the Hall of Fame, is excited […]
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The annual AgLanta Eats returns to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens
See Kelly Jordan’s photos from AgLanta Eats below this article. AgLanta, the City of Atlanta’s urban agricultural department, was joined with Groundwork Atlanta to bring the popular AgLanta Eats festival back to Atlanta on Aug. 21 for the second year in a row. It was previously paused in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19, but […]
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New study shows Atlanta has the 46th-lowest homelessness rate in the U.S. and the 25th-lowest home values out of the 50 largest metros in the country
Metro Atlanta has the 46th lowest rate of homelessness of the 50 largest metro areas in the country, according to a recent study from Clever Real Estate published on Home Bay that looked at home values vs homelessness rates. Metro Atlanta has a homelessness rate of 52.7 per 100,000 people. That’s a relatively low number […]
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Atlanta hosts the Black Men’s Mental Health Conference, highlights importance of access to care in Black community
As an emphasis on mental health continues to take shape in the country, one conference aims to provide resources and make care more accessible to an often-neglected group. On Saturday, July 15, Atlanta welcomed the Black Men’s Mental Health Conference (BMMHC) with hopes of reaching the titular demographic. Camillia Harris, founder of justUS — focused […]
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Historic 395 Edgewood Ave building sees groundbreaking ceremony for its redevelopment
On Tuesday, July 11, a groundbreaking ceremony was held at a neglected building on historic Edgewood Avenue in Downtown Atlanta which will become the site of BE on Edgewood. Fulton County Commission Chairman Rob Pitts attended the ceremony, along with dozens of other community leaders. The redevelopment is being headed by Navmar, LLC. Marjan Yavari […]
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‘How I’d Fix Atlanta’ gives an outlet to say what we’re all thinking
The newsletter How I’d Fix Atlanta (HIFA) has made a name for itself as a collective journal of grievances — and solutions — for Atlanta, by Atlantans. Since 2022, the newsletter has published 14 essays (and counting), the first 10 of which comprise “season one.” The essays each dive into a problem and solution for […]
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The Southeast Region Environmental Justice Summit wraps up in Atlanta last weekend
The Southeast Region Environmental Summit was held June 7 to 12 at the Grand Hyatt Regency in Buckhead. The summit brought together hundreds of community leaders, scientists, educators, activists and others around the movement of environmental justice. Environmental justice is a relatively new term dating back to the 80’s for a concept that has long […]
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Aspen Climate Ideas: Green makes green, preaching to the choir, and innovation out of desperation
By Mark Lannaman In March, I attended the second-ever Aspen Ideas: Climate conference in Miami Beach, Fla. It was one of the best experiences I’ve had this year, and there are few places in the U.S. where the effects of climate change can be seen so easily than in the Miami area. When I got […]
Posted inColumns, Mark Lannaman, Uncategorized
Grounds breaks on project to bring 40 affordable townhomes to East Lake
By Mark Lannaman In late March Mayor Andre Dickens joined Atlanta Land Trust (ALT) in a groundbreaking ceremony for a project in East Lake that will bring 40 affordable townhomes over its lifetime. The Trust at East Lake will be “permanently affordable” according to the ALT. This is made possible by the two-acre land donation […]
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Atlanta is the No. 5 city in the nation for Black homeownership
By Mark Lannaman Given decades of racist practices, it may come as no surprise that Black Americans don’t fare as well as their White counterparts as far as homeownership rates go. When it comes to homeownership rate for Black Americans in Atlanta, though, the city sits at number five in the country according to a […]
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Corazón a Corazón celebrates its one-year anniversary and looks towards new venue
By Mark Lannaman Corazón a Corazón — Heart to Heart in English — is an Atlanta-based open-mic and poetry slam group that just celebrated its one-year anniversary at the Mexican coffee shop Cafexito. Leo Rodriguez, creator of Corazón a Corazón, said he created the group for a specific purpose — to give space for those […]
Posted inColumns, Latest News, Mark Lannaman
Paint ‘N Sit ATL gets biggest turnout yet at its latest social
By Mark Lannaman The popular local Paint ‘N Sit ATL event held its largest gathering yet. An estimated 3000 people came together to create and celebrate art and build community. The idea is simple: people gather for the free event, use the provided paint tools or bring their own, and paint with each other. Paint […]
