In late March, Atlanta got an update about the Centennial Yards Project — a goal to break ground on the next phase of the future “largest entertainment district in the Southeast” by summer 2024. Centennial Yards’ official Instagram account posted about the upcoming changes Atlantans can expect to see at the “Gulch,” as the current […]
Category: Mark Lannaman
Mark Lannaman is a current graduate student at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He holds a B.A. from Georgia State University and an M.S. from Georgia Tech. He has previously worked with WABE as an intern for the Atlanta Press Club. Mark was a 2021 National Association of Hispanic Journalists mentee, 2021 Every Learner Everywhere fellow, & 2022 Society of Environmental Journalists fellow. He enjoys reporting on topics including sustainability, environment, education and urban development. Born and raised in Metro Atlanta, his family comes from Jamaica and Colombia. One of his favorite quotes is, “You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore” -André Gide.
Urbanite Challenge engages community members to help solve mobility issues in Atlanta
The Partnership for Southern Equity (PSE) is launching an 18-month initiative called The Ford Urbanite Atlanta Mobility Challenge, which looks to empower community members around Atlanta to have an active role in developing their communities to overcome mobility challenges instead of development just happening “to” them. The initiative is offering up to $150,000 for winning ideas. […]
City of Calhoun sued over PFAS in drinking water
In March, the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Coosa River Basin Initiative (CRBI), a nonprofit aiming to protect the Coosa River Basin, over the presence of PFAS found in drinking water. PFAS — short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — are a group of thousands of synthetic compounds […]
Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership announces 2024 leadership class
The Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership (IGEL) has its new environmental leadership class for 2024 — a cohort of 30 environmental leaders from across the state in a number of sectors, all working with a common interest: being good stewards for the environment. The program has been around for over 20 years, with now more […]
New food forest planted in Austell
Austell got a little greener on Saturday, March 23 with the planting of a food forest at South Cobb Recreation Center. The event also doubled as the Roots of Resilience Program kickoff, which is being facilitated through RCE Greater Atlanta — a functional network of United Nations University that seeks to advance the sustainable development […]
New report highlights Black household energy burden in Georgia
Last Thursday, researchers from Georgia Tech released a report titled “Energy Burdens of Black Households in Georgia” that analyzed the disproportionate effects of energy burdens on Black households in the state and its ramifications. The report, more than 40 pages, is divided into seven sections that look at the problem of energy burden in Black […]
Two Georgia cities selected for Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities initiative
Atlanta and Savannah are two of 25 cities selected for the Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities initiative. The three-year, $200 million initiative launched this month and aims to “turbocharge 25 U.S. cities’ efforts to leverage historic levels of federal funding to proactively build low-carbon, resilient, and economically thriving communities” according to the program’s website. With the […]
Legislation advocates for natural areas team in Department of Parks and Recreation
On Monday, March 4, the Atlanta City Council passed a resolution (24-R-3186) to bolster the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) by adding a natural areas team and a director of natural resources. The resolution is seen as a step in the right direction for parks and natural areas advocates. Since 2020, 80 percent of […]
First segment of Silver Comet Trail Connector breaks ground on Westside
The first section of the Silver Comet Trail Connector is coming to fruition. The Woodall Rail Trail broke ground in late February and when completed early next year, it will connect the future Northwest BeltLine trail to an area near The Works on Atlanta’s Westside. It’s the first section of a larger connector that looks […]
HUeMAN TV ushers in a new era as SIGNIFY, remains platform elevating marginalized creatives
SIGNIFY, a Black-led online streaming platform that started the night as HUeMAN TV, held SIGNIFest last Thursday at the Gathering Spot, where they announced the name change along with a new focus of the platform: uplifting Black women creatives. The night featured a number of short films that celebrated independent filmmakers, with a focus on […]
“The new civil rights” — Coalition gathers to advocate for environmental justice law at the capitol
On Friday Feb. 16 a coalition of environmental organizations gathered at the Georgia state capitol to hold an environmental justice day. The gathering was in support of HB 1263, which would mark Georgia’s premier environmental justice law, which now awaits a committee assignment. The bill includes creating an environmental justice commission appointed by state lawmakers […]
Black History Celebrated: Wyoming Black 14 remembered at Atlanta’s College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is celebrating a story of one of the most powerful combinations in American history — sports and civil rights. The Wyoming Black 14 were honored with their own display for Black History Month. The Wyoming Black 14 dates back to October of 1969. John Griffin was a starting slot […]
The grass is greener on this side: Park Pride announces nearly $4 million towards local Atlanta parks
In addition to celebrating its 35th anniversary, the park-advocating nonprofit Park Pride is also celebrating the largest investment in local parks in its history. This week, Park Pride announced $3.9 million in funding across 37 parks in the City of Atlanta and DeKalb County. Michael Halicki, executive director of Park Pride, said he’s excited about […]
Atlanta hosts affordable housing week and kicks off new permitting processes
The City of Atlanta hosted its inaugural “Affordable Housing Week”, which started on Monday Feb. 12 and ran until Friday Feb. 16. It comes at a time when affordable housing is a quickly rising concern for many residents. Affordable Housing Week also began the Welcome H.O.M.E. (Housing Opportunity Moves for Everyone) process, a new initiative […]
New analysis shows Georgia clean energy investments are paying off for workforce and economy
Whether you’re for the environment or the economy — or both — the data is clear: clean energy is a great investment. A report released at the Georgia Clean Energy Summit on Thursday in Atlanta highlights the high return on investment for Georgia in the clean energy industry. Much of the advancement of the clean […]
Mercedes Benz Stadium hosts Atlanta Veteran Job Fair
On Thurs. Feb 8, Mercedes Benz Stadium hosted the joint Atlanta Veterans Job Fair in partnership with RecruitMilitary and Disabled American Veterans (DAV). The event had 640 veteran registrants and featured nearly 50 exhibitors. The mission, according to RecruitMilitary, was to empower veterans and help them find meaningful work in their next stage of life. […]
Ranked-choice voting suffers setback in Georgia legislative session
Ranked-choice voting (RCV) suffered a setback in Georgia this legislative session, with the Senate Ethics Committee passing SB355 — a bill that would ban RCV in Georgia. RCV has been gaining traction around the country and online, with supporters saying it would allow more third-party candidates to be elected, greatly reduce runoffs, and lead to […]
Goodwill launches electric vehicle workforce development program in Georgia
Goodwill of North Georgia just kicked off The Goodwill Clean Tech Infrastructure Academy (CTIA) on Monday, Jan. 29, an EV and green workforce development program in partnership with Accenture. The Atlanta pilot program is set to run from Jan. 29 through Feb. 23. The first run has 30 participants across three cohorts. This is the […]
Temple Sinai becomes first synagogue in Atlanta to install solar system on rooftop
Temple Sinai, located in Sandy Springs, just became the first synagogue in Atlanta to incorporate a solar system to power their operations. The system was installed by Cherry Street Energy, which has been installing solar systems throughout the city in partnership with the local government. The installation was finished mid-January, and paperwork to have it […]
City of Atlanta to receive an electric bike rebate program. Can the city’s infrastructure support it?
The latest win for alternative transit was just announced in Atlanta — a joint rebate program between the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), the City of Atlanta, and Propel ATL to help residents buy their own electric bicycle (e-bike). The program is aimed at low and moderate income Atlanta residents. It doesn’t have a specific launch […]
