Atlanta LINK gets first look at Dallas
More than 100 key metro Atlanta leaders touched down in Dallas today to start a four-day look at the city’s progress – or lack of it – in tackling many of the same issues challenging Atlanta.
The trip includes political, business, transportation, economic development and philanthropic leaders and is organized by the Atlanta Regional Commission, its 20th LINK trip. It is also the second time in Dallas, but it’s been more than 15 years since LINK’s last look at the Big D.
After arrival — and lunch — the group got an overview of the region from Timothy Bray, director of the Urban Policy Research Group at the University of Texas.
Dallas and Atlanta, arguably the two largest business hubs in the southeast United States, are perceived by leaders in both cities as both rivals and peers. So the LINK group hopes to get a clear sense of how Dallas and Atlanta are similar, as well as how they differ, said Ann Cramer, a senior consultant with Coxe Curry & Associates, who has been on all but one of the LINK trips.
The big issues are often the same: transit, education, how to attract professionals and business, how to manage growth.
“We always want to see what we can learn from another city that will have relevance to Atlanta,” she said. “We’ve learned something from every community.”
