Atlanta’s rise in national and international stature during the second half of the 20th century was directly attributable to an abundance of enlightened leadership. Today, equally bold and engaged leadership is needed for a new, different and vitally important set of challenges.
As a native Atlantan, I am grateful for the wise stewardship of previous generations. Devoted to the city’s “enlightened self-interest,” our forebears understood the keys to the future: business environment, race relations, transportation, education and so on — and served them well.
From time to time, they would pause just long enough to review and admire their work. It’s a tradition dating to Henry Grady, who announced to an 1886 New York audience that we had “raised a brave and beautiful new city,” one that was welcoming and open for business. This bravado would become such an Atlanta tradition that some — surely no one from around here — would declare we would be a coastal city if we could only inhale as deeply as we exhale.
Atlanta leaders also have paused, however, to assess obstacles to future success and ways to overcome them. They knew that problems would not solve themselves nor would opportunities be self-fulfilling.
So they applied their authority and gifts for rallying others, put shoulders to the wheel and left a remarkable legacy: a pro-business environment, civil rights leadership, one of the world’s great airports, a rich and diverse mix of higher education, professional sports, the 1996 Olympics, the MARTA system and more.
With these advantages, Atlanta and the metro area have flourished. From 2000 to 2009, we ranked third nationally in population growth. Only three metropolitan areas have more Fortune 500 headquarters than Atlanta does, and no one has a busier airport. The Atlanta Regional Commission forecasts an additional 1.7 million jobs here between 2010 and 2040 with health care, professional/technical services and, yes, real estate heading the list of sectors with the largest projected employment growth. We are relatively young, in fact second nationally in percentage of “Gen Xers” ages 25 to 39. And we are well educated, ranking ninth in percent of population with bachelor’s degrees.
True to our heritage, we must recognize and navigate through current and future challenges. They are considerable: Atlanta has the third-highest traffic congestion in the nation; our need for additional water sources is urgent, and a federal court has declared we have no right to a major source we already have; three metro school systems have either lost or are in danger of losing accreditation; Georgia ranks 49th in transportation funding per capita; our 20-county metro area encompasses 136 different governments, making it difficult to build problem-solving consensus.
In Atlanta fashion, today’s leaders scrutinize the challenges and pursue solutions. Unlike in years past when a relative few could drive change, today’s leadership varies by issue, is more broad and diverse, and covers more constituencies. That is a good thing if stewardship is conducted in coordinated fashion with shared priorities and values.
But no one who wants continued greatness for this region can wait for a select group of others to do the heavy lifting. Every day we see special interests engaging on issues; the majority interest must engage for Atlanta, starting with short-term, must-happen mandates.
They include supporting Mayor Kasim Reed and calling City Council members about pension reform; weighing in with local and state officials about water; contacting school board members about accreditation; supporting the 2012 T-SPLOST for transportation funding; and supporting improvements at the Port of Savannah.
We also must invest in longer-term aspirations. With our research and other universities and colleges, and with our relatively young and educated population, Atlanta can continue to attract high-growth “industries of the mind,” such as bioscience, health systems, business services, information technology and others. Companies in these industries reflect the new economic landscape, engage in global commerce, produce high-paying jobs — and locate where they can find the necessary talent. The state of Atlanta’s future depends on our ability to attract highly educated and creative people.
Maintaining high quality of life is a special challenge for a region that expects 3 million additional people by 2040. Major focus areas should include transportation alternatives, including streetcars, light rail, commuter trains, more carpooling and the Beltline. We need to add green space, advance the arts, support our institutions of higher learning, improve public education from infancy through 12th grade, and facilitate state and regional collaboration on governance and investment.
To borrow from a much better writer, we are a tale of two cities. One Atlanta is still great, if slightly tarnished by the seeming intractability of certain problems, mostly but not all growth-related. The other Atlanta is a magnet for advanced industry and people because it is smart and alive, stimulating and forward-thinking — the Atlanta we all want fervently to protect and advance.
Which one we will be much depends on this generation’s level of active and thoughtful engagement. We want to be remembered with the same gratitude and respect that we have for those who came before us. We will have to earn that standing by investing our resources and ourselves strategically, with energy and foresight. That is our responsibility — and our choice.
Larry Gellerstedt III is president and CEO of Cousins Properties.
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