Atlanta Forward

Atlanta Forward
Name	Atlanta Forward
Formation	2019
Type	Nonprofit coalition
Headquarters	Atlanta, Georgia
Region served	Atlanta, Metropolitan Atlanta
Leader title	Executive Director
Leader name	Jane Doe

Atlanta Forward Atlanta Forward is a civic coalition formed to advocate for urban development, transit investment, and inclusive growth in Atlanta, Fulton County, and surrounding DeKalb County municipalities. The organization engages with regional stakeholders, including elected officials, civic groups, and philanthropic institutions to influence policy debates about land use, transportation, and economic development in the Metro Atlanta area. Atlanta Forward operates through public campaigns, research partnerships, and convenings that connect neighborhood associations, business coalitions, and planning agencies.

History

Atlanta Forward was established in 2019 amid debates over zoning reform, MARTA expansion, and housing policy in Atlanta. Founders included leaders with prior affiliations to Coalition for Smarter Growth, Urban Land Institute, and civic tech networks tied to TechSquare and Georgia Tech. Early activities intersected with public controversies such as the reauthorization efforts around One Atlanta initiatives and local ballot measures affecting Peachtree Street corridor planning. The group gained visibility during the 2020s as it participated in hearings before the Atlanta City Council, testified to the Georgia General Assembly, and submitted analysis to the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority planning process. Atlanta Forward collaborated with research centers like Center for Civic Innovation and university programs at Emory University and Georgia State University to produce policy briefs and data visualizations that shaped municipal debates.

Mission and Objectives

The stated mission emphasizes equitable infrastructure investment, transit-oriented development, and preserving affordability in rapidly changing neighborhoods such as Old Fourth Ward, Buckhead, and West End. Atlanta Forward sets objectives to influence capital programming at agencies including MARTA, the Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. project, and regional planning housed in the Atlanta Regional Commission. It aims to align philanthropic capital from institutions like The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation and The Kendeda Fund with community priorities voiced by organizations such as Neighborhood Planning Units and Summerhill Neighborhood Association. The coalition frames its work around measurable outcomes tied to investment in Peachtree Center, traffic mitigation along Interstate 75, and preservation of cultural assets in Sweet Auburn.

Programs and Initiatives

Programs include an advocacy campaign for a MARTA referendum, research partnerships producing white papers on zoning reform, and convenings that bring together stakeholders from Georgia Department of Transportation, regional chambers like Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, and civic nonprofits such as Habitat for Humanity Atlanta. Initiatives have targeted transit corridors—linking planning for Peachtree Road and Memorial Drive—and pilot projects promoting mixed-income housing near Inman Park and Edgewood. Atlanta Forward also launched a fellowship program partnering with Morehouse College and Spelman College to develop community leadership pipelines and with urban design studios at Georgia Tech College of Design to prototype streetscape improvements. It publishes policy memos that cite analyses used by the Federal Transit Administration and has hosted panels featuring experts from NARP and leaders formerly with City of Atlanta Office of Housing.

Organizational Structure

The organization is structured as a coalition with an executive director, a board drawn from civic leaders, and program staff that coordinate policy, communications, and community outreach. Board members have backgrounds at institutions including Cox Enterprises, SunTrust (now Truist), and civic organizations such as Atlanta Chamber Players and Park Pride. Working groups focus on transit, housing, and economic inclusion and include representatives from neighborhood associations, business improvement districts like Midtown Alliance, and academic partners from Georgia State University College of Law. A core advisory council comprises former elected officials, planners from City of Atlanta Department of City Planning, and grantmakers from foundations operating in Atlanta BeltLine corridors.

Partnerships and Funding

Atlanta Forward funds activities through a combination of philanthropic grants, corporate sponsorships, and project-specific contracts. Major grants have come from regional philanthropies and national organizations such as The Kresge Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and local donors connected to The Coca-Cola Company. Corporate partners have included real estate developers registered with Atlanta Apartment Association and transit-oriented firms working on Buckhead Mixed-Use projects. The coalition partners with universities—Emory University Urban Studies and Georgia Tech—and nonprofits like Future Foundation Atlanta for research, training, and technical assistance. It has accepted in-kind support from consulting firms formerly engaged with Perkins&Will and architecture studios active on BeltLine design.

Impact and Reception

Atlanta Forward’s interventions have been credited by supporters with influencing funding priorities for MARTA expansion, contributing to zoning changes near Midtown, and elevating equity metrics in planning documents produced by the Atlanta Regional Commission. Critics from tenant advocacy groups and some neighborhood activists argue the coalition sometimes aligns too closely with development interests represented by chambers such as Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and large developers, citing contested outcomes in Buckhead Council debates and affordability concerns in Gentrification-affected corridors. Coverage of Atlanta Forward has appeared in regional outlets including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, in policy analyses by think tanks like Brookings Institution’s urban programs, and in academic studies examining civic coalitions’ roles in metropolitan governance.

Category:Organizations based in Atlanta