01/05/2026
Mayor Dickens' stated goal for his second term, which starts with an inauguration today, is to make Atlanta the best city to raise a child in. This sounds like an excellent aim for the city!
A lot of factors are involved in reaching that target, but here's one we'd like to emphasize:
A 2019 study from Columbia University found that walkability matters for children, especially in terms of economic mobility. Even when considering other factors, like income inequalities and social capital, children from walkable neighborhoods have a higher level of upward economic mobility as adults.
And 'walkability' needs to mean more than just the low-bar goal of having sidewalks. See image for an example of the low bar; this is a section of DeKalb Avenue where there's a sidewalk, but the street doesn't feel appealing to walk on due to the overall car-centric design.
Zoning, planning, street design, community development, architecture -- they all play a part in making our streets great places for walking to destinations! Turning Atlanta into a city filled with pedestrian-oriented, complete neighborhoods would help the Mayor achieve his goal. Obviously, it's a long-term vision, but getting started now is important.
Source:
https://kinder.rice.edu/urbanedge/living-walkable-neighborhoods-makes-children-richer-when-they-grow-new-study-finds
