Atlanta is a region that casts its glance backward briefly, takes stock of things, then steps boldly forward. This deep recession requires that Atlanta must, once again, draw deeply from its century-old spirit if the region is to emerge even stronger from this downturn.

Our belief is that we can do it if we focus on the future and are mindful of the past.

In this series, the AJC is looking at major issues Atlanta must address in order to move forward as the economy recovers. Look for the designation "Atlanta Forward," which will identify these discussions. Send comments to atlantaforward@ajc.com.

Roads are economic development tools, on that there’s little doubt. Opinions diverge like the I-75/I-85 split on the Downtown Connector, though, when the subject of iron roads comes up. That’s led Georgia to buy a lot more concrete for highway construction than for railroad crossties.

The Great Recession has acted like the unruliest of students, stomping down state and local revenues that pay for public education and promising another year of budget-slashing that will affect in no small way the students who are Georgia’s future.The shortfall numbers scrawled across the state’s budgetary blackboard are riveting in an unpleasant way.

“This is our recession, this is our challenge and, more importantly, this is our opportunity.”Georgia Labor Commissioner Michael L. ThurmondOpportunity may seem a strange word to use during a time when Georgia is struggling with record-high joblessness.

Given Gov. Sonny Perdue’s double-barreled transportation proposal announced Thursday, one might have expected traffic-troubled Atlantans to have honked their horns in celebration of progress on Georgia’s stubborn transportation problems.

The Gold Dome is not a courthouse, but Georgia’s future goes on trial starting Monday as the General Assembly resumes session.Before our elected leaders are tasks of an enormousness that’s nearly impossible to overstate. Georgia’s very big problems demand real solutions, not dogma or politically popular stall tactics.

By Monday, with New Year’s revelry but a memory, many of us will be back at work, perhaps still scribbling 2009 on checks or other documents. That, too, shall pass.What will remain, as 2010 begins, are the challenges facing our region and state.

“There was in the South an excitement about the early depression years of the 1930s which ameliorated the harshness of them. There was a mighty surge of discussion, debate, self-examination, confession and release.”Ralph McGill, from “The South and the Southerner”The coming year has one big advantage: It won’t be 2009.

"People expect us to get things done. They don’t expect us to sit around and argue all day long. They expect us to accomplish something, to work together for the common good and for the greater good.”-- Florida Gov. Charlie CristLast week, Georgia Gov.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s reporting last week on the growing gulf between property tax assessments and the reality of actual real estate prices has identified another looming gap where this malevolent recession’s tentacles pose a serious threat.

Two leaders who have helped shape the metro area offer their advice for the city's incoming chief executive officer. ATLANTA FORWARD / SAM OLENS: The new mayor must reach beyond the city's boundary linesAtlanta is really bigger than its city limits — the city of Atlanta is inextricably linked to the larger metro area.

“There must be a beginning again, and perhaps, he said, it will come out of this depression. He was right about it. There was a beginning again. It did grow out of the heartbreak of the depression years.”Ralph McGill, describing 
a conversation with Franklin D.

“Georgia is one of the fastest-growing states in the nation, and population growth and economic prosperity in the state are tied to our water resources.”— From the Georgia Comprehensive Statewide Water Management PlanVisualize Atlanta without growth.

Sarah Crider’s darkest hours had no dawn. As evening passed into midnight in her room at a Georgia mental hospital in 2006, the 14-year-old lay dying, hours after complaining of stomach pain. She vomited at midnight, and again two hours later.

Anyone who’s ever bargained hard with a salesperson knows successful negotiations are often not easy. The degree of difficulty in reaching common ground often increases with the complexity of the deal or the amount of money involved.That realization puts in context the city of Atlanta’s haggling with Delta Air Lines over a new lease at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

In two days, voters in our part of North Georgia will personally embrace democracy as they troop to polling places and cast ballots in more than 200 races. Each contest is important as it helps define how government will function going forward. And in troubled times like these, we need the best governance we can get.

When a region has an economy undergirded by small businesses and entrepreneurs, it should do everything possible to sustain the foundation. This is even more important during a recession that is forcing thousands out of the corporate world who have the knowledge and talent to become entrepreneurs.

Their job responsibilities will be as daunting as the times we’re now living through. That reality should give pause as we, each in our own way, examine those who have stepped up to seek elective office in the
Nov. 3 municipal elections.That 475 candidates have shown themselves willing to invest time and money to run in 216 races speaks to the enduring strength of democracy, especially given today’s challenges.

Given the severity of this Great Recession, it’s encouraging when a mixed bag of reports can actually add up to relatively good news for our well-hammered economy.Looking ahead, Dennis P. Lockhart, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, drew a picture of tempered optimism during a speech last week at the University of South Alabama.

The Editorial Board's View: The crossroads or the bypass. Georgians must choose between those transportation concepts in coming months.

The Editorial Board's View: Examine the status quo so school operations are efficient without shortchanging teachers' critical work.

The Editorial Board's View: Perception can trump reality when it comes to feelings about safety, so an engaged leader can soothe the public's fears and get help from activists.

Gambling is illegal in Georgia, but we placed a big bet on a lawsuit — and lost.In this case, U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson’s 97-page ruling on Lake Lanier delivered a loud wake-up call to our region and, we’d argue, the entire state.Wake-up calls are one thing; calls to action are another, and the Atlanta region has specialized in the latter.

Our View: The challenge of creating jobs in the area means finding ‘the riches in the niches’

Baby boomers are proud sorts who, thanks to advances in health care, have thus far been able to redefine what it means to grow older. Even so, swearing off fatty meats, doing countless rounds of Pilates and taking vitamin supplements religiously can only retard — not halt — the onset of old age and its limitations large and small.

Our view: To keep attracting business, state must boost high school graduation rates and continue to spend on teaching students how to learn all their lives.

It's been four months since the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, aka the stimulus bill, became law amidst both acclaim and criticism. The mega-billions spending package was rushed into existence to shore up a U.S. economy that, at the time, was weakening rapidly.

In 30 weeks, the Georgia General Assembly will again be called to order. That gives the Atlanta region that much time to caucus and come up with a comprehensive set of tactics to use anew in pushing for new transportation funding options.

It was not by chance that Atlanta — from its central core to the suburbs fanning outward in all directions — rose into the ranks of America's great cities.