From Central Park to Boston Common to Golden Gate Park, iconic parks define cities. Great parks drive economic development, promote public health, strengthen communities and improve the environment.
In Atlanta, we have excellent parks like Adams, Grant and Chastain, as well as Piedmont Park, one of the finest in the nation, and the stunning Historic Fourth Ward Park, which represents the future of great parks in Atlanta.
At the heart of Historic Fourth Ward Park is the most magnificent water detention pond in the country, complete with an amphitheater, waterfalls and a meandering boardwalk. The pond has eliminated flooding of the old City Hall East Building, allowing for the largest office building in the South to be reborn as Ponce City Market. Anticipating the new park, surrounding neighborhoods approved the construction of more than 5,000 new housing units, creating a dense, new-urban environment.
Clean water, economic development and a stunning public space, all in one park.
Similar opportunity exists on Atlanta’s west side. Through a partnership between the Parks Department, Atlanta Beltline Inc. and the Department of Watershed Management, an old quarry will be transformed into a water reservoir, anchoring a park that will be nearly twice the size of Piedmont. This vast acreage could host whitewater rafting, equestrian trails and the largest sports complex in the City.
Other partnerships are driving the growth of Atlanta’s great public spaces. The Departments of Watershed Management and Parks & Recreation already have partnered to add more than 400 acres of green space. Cooperation with Atlanta Public Schools, the Atlanta Housing Authority and others can unlock hundreds of more acres.
Atlanta also will unlock the potential of existing parks and envision ways to make them world-class. Can we transform Adams Park in southwest Atlanta into the equivalent of Piedmont Park? Does a first-class mountain bike park lurk in the undeveloped woods of Southside Park in southeast Atlanta? Can Bankhead’s Maddox Park host an urban farm – complete with sheep, chickens and horses – all accessible by MARTA?
Connecting these parks and neighborhoods will be 33 miles of Atlanta Beltline trails, circling downtown and serving as a hub for trails extending from the Alabama border to Rockdale County. Residents will be able to walk, skate or ride their way around the city without ever leaving a trail.
Mayor Reed often says that Atlanta is a city that functions best when it aspires to greatness. In our public spaces, we aspire to nothing less.
George A. Dusenbury is Commissioner of Atlanta’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs.
