At first glance, the difference in scale between the Atlanta region and New York City suggests there’s little in common between both metropolitan areas.
But upon closer look, there’s a great deal Atlanta can learn from New York City.
That’s why the Atlanta Regional Commission chose New York City as the site of its 27th LINK trip. LINK stands for “Leadership, Innovation, Networking, Knowledge.”
About 145 regional leaders from Atlanta will visit New York City from Aug. 14 to Aug. 17 — the largest group ever to go on a LINK trip.
In short, all five boroughs of New York City total of 8.6 million people while the City of Atlanta’s population is at an all-time high of 532,000. The New York City region has a population of more than 19 million while the Atlanta region has 6.3 million with continued growth. Also, New York City has much greater density than Atlanta, which is more spread out geographically.
Still, Atlantans can learn several lessons by visiting New York City.
“Initiatives taken in New York City have direct relevance to metro Atlanta,” said Mike Alexander, ARC’s chief operating officer, in an interview to preview the 2024 trip.
LINK participants will explore key issues facing both regions, including transit, climate and the green economy, housing and redevelopment. During the visit, the LINK delegation will meet with leaders from the public, private, and non-profit sectors in New York.
“New York City provides a ready-made laboratory for Atlanta leaders to explore world-class innovations as well as major challenges facing both of our regions, from housing affordability to climate mitigation,” said Anna Roach, ARC’s executive director and CEO, in a statement. “The LINK delegation will have the opportunity to hear from leading experts, tour cutting-edge developments, and study groundbreaking programs to inform our region’s work back home.”
Among the topic areas that will be featured will be urban design and development, especially affordable housing and the conversion of office space to residential. The group will also learn about the mega investments New York is making to improve its transit infrastructure.
The delegation will be staying in Times Square, a laboratory of how a city can shift from being car-centric to a place for people.
“They have really thought differently about mobility,” Alexander said. “If you want to bicycle around Manhattan and do it safely, you can do that now. You wouldn’t have been able to do that 20 years ago. We are staying at Times Square where it wasn’t always a pedestrian-friendly area. Today it’s the opposite. There are economic development implications of going pedestrian.”
The group will hear from the Times Square Alliance, which manages the district. The Alliance focuses on public safety, regulation of activities and ensuring the spaces work well for businesses, visitors, and residents, according to the ARC.
During the same panel, LINK delegates will hear about the 125th Street Business Improvement District and the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership.
Another highlight will be a session about East Midtown Manhattan and the development of Grand Central. Alfred “Fred” Cerullo III, president of Grand Central Partnership and a commissioner of the NYC planning department, will talk about the $11.2 billion initiative, the single largest construction project undertaken by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. By comparison, MARTA was proposing a $230 million renovation of its main hub, the Five Points MARTA station, but that has been put on hold because of differences of opinion about the scale and timing of the project. MARTA General Manager Collie Greenwood is not listed as one of the LINK attendees.
Other major transit station improvements include Penn Station and the Port Authority Bus Terminal.
The LINK delegation also will learn about the transformation of Hudson Yards and how it has evolved from a once-abandoned industrial area into a vibrant, mixed-use neighborhood. It stands as one of the largest private real estate developments in the United States. That project is directly relevant to the plans to redevelop downtown Atlanta’s Gulch area into Centennial Yards and SoDo — short for South Downtown. Brian McGowan, president of Centennial Yards, and David Cummings, a lead investor of SoDo, will be part of the LINK delegation.
A highlight of the trip will be a fireside chat between Clyde Higgs, president and CEO of the Atlanta Beltline, and Alan van Capelle, executive director of High Line Park Trust. Both projects will spotlight how former rail lines have been converted into places for pedestrians.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, who is also ARC’s board chair, has made affordable housing a focus during his administration. There will be a panel about business development and office conversions in NYC.
“I look forward to joining leaders from our region on the upcoming LINK trip,” Dickens said in a statement. “Together, we will explore the innovations in transit, connectivity, sustainability and housing that have helped make New York a thriving city. We look forward to any key takeaways that can accelerate our own work here in Atlanta, and we also look forward to sharing our own progress on projects like the BeltLine and 2 Peachtree.”
The New York City Economic Development Corp. has a “huge” portfolio, said Melissa Roberts, ARC’s director of LINK.
“They are converting office buildings into other uses like housing and hotels,” Roberts said in the interview. “They have an affordable housing crisis, but they also have empty office buildings because of COVID. We will learn about how you can convert these offices in ways that can increase the supply of housing in business districts.”
As Dickens mentioned, the City of Atlanta is already working to convert the 2 Peachtree St. tower from office to housing.
That panel will be followed by one on housing finance and redevelopment, and it will include a conversation between Terri Lee, CEO of the Atlanta Housing Authority, and NYC housing leaders. Roberts said the panel will compare housing in Atlanta and NYC, and it will explore financing and public-private partnerships to meet housing goals.
Alexander, an avid reader who said one of his favorite books is: “The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York,” about one of the most powerful planners and builders in the city’s history.
“NYC was founded in 1624,” Alexander said. “New York is really the place that accommodated economic growth in business. It’s very flexible in changing over hundreds of years. If you take the long view, we are going through a period of conversion.”
Other topics that will be part of the LINK program include climate and sustainability, the green economy, clean technology workforce development, technology and venture capital and the New York Stock Exchange, which is, incidentally, owned by Atlanta-based Intercontinental Exchange. The LINK delegation will be part of the NYSE’s Closing Bell ceremony on Aug. 16.
On the afternoon of Aug. 15, attendees will break out into 11 separate groups to learn about various projects firsthand.
“LINK Mobile Labs are immersive educational experiences with attendees going to small groups and engaging with people leading those projects,” Roberts said, adding that between eight to 30 people will take part in each of the 11 experiences. “You can see the range, from green space, transit, land use, Governor’s Island…”
Although the stated purpose of LINK is to give metro Atlanta leaders insights of what works and doesn’t work in other cities. But LINK’s added benefit is that it brings regional leaders together — forging stronger relationships among people from diverse backgrounds, geographic areas and sectors — government, business and the civic community.
This column has been updated to include a statement from Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, who is also the current chair of the Atlanta Regional Commission.
Note to readers: Although I haven’t been invited to attend the 2024 LINK trip, I still plan to cover it as best I can.
I’d love to see a list of some concrete improvements Atlanta has made as a result of this program. I’d also love to know exactly how it’s funded, including the number of public officials who will be taking this trip in lieu of doing their jobs here at home.