Back in 2005 the original plan for the BeltLine, a 22-mile multi-use trail and park, was to surround it with at least 5,600 affordable homes to suit Atlanta’s growing population. The city has fallen way short of that goal.
According to CityLab, Atlanta has only added 785 affordable units around the project. Instead, home prices and rental rates have swelled, and lower-income and working-class residents are being pushed farther away from the city. Other places including Chicago, New Orleans, New York City, and Philadelphia have introduced similar urban renewal projects that have failed to benefit the community around it.
In an effort to fix this, Atlanta has passed ordinances and revised zoning laws that would mandate and incentivize developers to set aside space for affordable housing.
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