By: Kenwin Hayes, Sr., Urban Land Institute Member and mTAP Chair (2021-2022); and Principal at ReUrbanis Advisors & Shirlynn Fortson, mTAP Co-Chair (2021-2022), Economic Development Director at City of Brookhaven (GA). “Whoever renders service to many puts himself in line for greatness – great wealth, great return, great satisfaction, great reputation, and great joy.” This […]

By Michael Norton, Ph.D., Chief Policy Analyst at Reinvestment Fund Public libraries and museums are deeply embedded in their communities in ways that enrich the wellbeing of local residents. Through their core services, programming, and partnerships with other organizations, they catalyze broader networks of support that meet a diverse range of needs for individuals, organizations, […]

Housing advocates and community leaders championed federal safety nets for renters and landlords alike as Covid-19 wreaked havoc on incomes and job stability. Concern over housing instability remains consistent despite an unprecedented amount of federal funding deployed to states and local governments. The problem is particularly acute for Black and brown communities, which are often […]

A recent research publication jointly produced by the Center for Community Progress, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Tackling Vacancy and Abandonment: Strategies and Impacts after the Great Recession, aims to share some of the best practices used to address the vacancy and blight created by abandoned homes created […]

By: Daphne Bond-Godfrey, Senior Director, ULI Atlanta Today Atlantans will cast their vote for the City’s next Mayor. In total, 14 candidates are running – all with a shared passion to enhance the future of our City. ULI Atlanta recently hosted a Mayoral Forum in collaboration with CREW Atlanta to dive into candidates’ views on […]

By Olivia Chatman, Program Associate – Food Initiatives, Reinvestment Fund Across the country, the shameful reality of limited access to healthy food plagues historically marginalized communities. It is an issue that is rooted in discriminatory policies and disinvestment, and is reflected in the 27.6 million people living in places with inequitable and inadequate access to […]

By now we know that historic (and nearly always intentional) disinvestment and extraction in communities of color has driven a dramatic gap in wealth and ownership by race. This disparity means people of color face steep and complex barriers to owning and controlling their homes and businesses. As the federal government debates upwards of $3.5 […]

By The Wilbert Group We spoke with Sheba about what fuels her passion for architecture, her multi-cultural heritage, and her involvement in ULI beginning with YLG to chairing this year’s Center for Leadership Designing more than just buildings In 2016 urban designer Sheba Ross was part of a team at HKS designing the new building […]

By Khaliff Davis, Director K-12 Lending, Reinvestment Fund Since its inception, the community development financial institution industry has been committed to providing capital to help expand opportunity for historically excluded communities. In recent years, the continued and often growing disparities in outcomes ranging from health to education to economic prosperity have led CDFIs like Reinvestment […]

By Laurie Schoeman, Sr. Program Director and Sara Haas, Director, Enterprise Community Partners According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, seven of Atlanta’s 10 hottest years have taken place in the past decade.  In fact, 2019 was the warmest year since tracking began in the 1870s. The escalating heat, elevated levels of rainfall and […]