This month we have a great feature about mixed-income housing. It’s inspiring to see how communities are getting creative in addressing a challenge that affects people at every level, as well as the state’s workforce capacity. The most common rule…
The 2022 General Assembly convened Jan. 10 to shepherd Georgia through a legal maze of budget approval and unfinished initiatives. Our 2022 Legislative Guide will help you navigate who covers what territory with an updated list of our 180 representatives,…
The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) organized its annual LINK trip to Chicago last fall, and it’s taken me this long to wrap my head around it. Apart from the vigorous schedule of tours, panels and speakers, the fact that this…
Georgia, in addition to being the best state in which to do business for nearly a decade, is run in many ways like a business itself. In September, state government reported a $2.2 billion surplus, even above its “rainy day”…
Our feature about Buckhead in this month’s issue casts some light on the problems and solutions underway in the midst of the increase in crime that has energized some residents in one of Georgia’s most important neighborhoods to attempt to…
Public safety is ramping up to be the talk of the upcoming political season. A major uptick in crime is driving the conversation, both in Atlanta and throughout the state, primarily in concentrated areas of high poverty – but affecting…
Many are waiting this month to see if workers start coming back as COVID-19 stimulus benefits have expired or if the surge of COVID cases related to the delta variant will prolong the glut of unfilled jobs. This is happening…
Atlanta doesn’t have too many buildings that make you say, “whoa.” But the Central Library on Peachtree Street is one of them. It is modern, it is futuristic, it looks like science fiction. It is Marcel Breuer’s last project, and…
I hope as this comes out in August things are different, but as I’m writing it Georgia has been inexplicably slow to get vaccinated against COVID-19. As of mid-June, only about a third of the state’s population had received both…
I’ve seen a lot of headlines about the spike in pets finding forever homes during the pandemic. Unfortunately the same can’t be said about children and youth. The pandemic has created additional challenges for already-overburdened child protective services and aggravated…
Georgia continues to be recognized for its business- friendly environment, and it seems announcements about new manufacturing operations locating or expanding here are happening daily. But can the state provide the advanced workforce manufacturing now requires? The state recently moved…
There’s been a lot of talk about voting fraud recently. In all my years of reporting I don’t think I’ve ever covered a case. In doing some research on it, I found that the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank tracks…
With President Joe Biden’s administration and a Democratic-led Congress, it’s possible the minimum wage could increase to $15 by 2025. This is a mind blower for many business owners in our state. Georgia is tied with Wyoming for the lowest…
Cities across the country and in Georgia are working on ways to tackle the problem of affordable housing. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is blazing a trail to address the issue, with $50 million in new bond funding that paves…
The 2021-2022 Georgia General Assembly session is underway and it’s a good time to know your lawmakers and the issues they’re likely to focus on this year. Our 2021 Legislative Guide will help you navigate the layers of state and…
(Note: I wrote the following column prior to the events of Jan. 6. I have decided to leave it mostly unchanged. I only hope that day will serve to illustrate the savage effects of disinformation on America and to start…
Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) are hot topics in 2021. In many ways Georgia is at the vanguard in successful corporate and civic practices. At the recent Georgia Chamber of Commerce D&I Summit it was evident that business leaders intend to…
Around this time I’m often writing a bit of a wish list – for Christmas, for 2021, or what have you. When I was younger this list could be several pages long. This year I have just one wish for…
Georgia ranks near the bottom in the country in affordable quality healthcare. The number of uninsured residents here is at 23%, according to the American Journal of Managed Care. This month’s election could decide the path forward for what is…
Another baton has been passed, this time to new Georgia Power chair, president and CEO Chris Womack, from current leader Paul Bowers, who announced his retirement today. Womack will serve as president effective Nov. 1, and assume the additional roles…
The post office is an American institution that deserves defending. These last six months, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has endured reckless reforms that have crippled its ability to process mail and packages – including “last-mile” package delivery that private…
This issue celebrates the 35th anniversary of Georgia Trend. It’s really a celebration of the lives that have made Georgia such a successful state. These people and their stories are reflected in the pages of our magazine each month. And…
It’s been a rough summer. Georgia has been rocked with two killings that have inspired protests engulfing the world following the death of George Floyd in Minnesota and in reaction to the broader mistreatment of Black Americans by authorities. It…
Georgia is an agriculture state, and even as we focus on new crops and technologies in this month’s issue, it’s hard to look away from the big picture. The agriculture industry is being affected as much or more than other…
It is my hope that current conditions related to the spread of the coronavirus will help us appreciate the important role public health departments play in our lives. As of April 15, the Georgia Department of Public Health revised its…
This month features our Small Business Guide, a collaboration with the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center. I hope it will find a wide audience among entrepreneurs and small businesses around the state who can use the information to…
Reading about South Metro Atlanta in this month’s issue brings back many fond memories of when I worked as a newspaper reporter and editor in McDonough, Jonesboro and Newnan in the ’90s. It’s amazing to see how much has changed…
As the 2020 legislative session wraps up, many are anxious to see how Georgia’s broadband funding for rural areas turns out. There is hope for action. But that hope is in the face of declining budget revenues partially due to…
We are proud to present the Georgia Trend 2020 Legislative Guide, our indispensable guide to lawmakers convening in Atlanta to hash out the state’s laws and finances. This will be Georgia’s 156th session of the General Assembly, which is one…
It’s inspiring to me how culture has endured through the changes in technology that have rocked the world over the past 20 years. As Georgia Trend celebrates its 35th anniversary year, it’s made me think about how the media in…
Georgia’s water wars may seem like old news, but the fight for natural resources never really goes away. Whether with neighboring states for water supply, with the government over water levels, or with polluters and scofflaws, the fight to keep…
Rural Georgia has much potential and some real work on the ground. It’s a slow ramp up, but I am impressed with what is now available to accelerate options for investment and the commitment of our governor and legislature toward…
It’s time again for turkey, stuffing, gravy, after-the-big-meal naps, football, celebrating and gearing up for the shopping season. These good times stir up a lot of emotions, and whether one breaks bread alone or with friends or family, hopefully sympathy…
Each fall college football season provides a timely reminder that our higher education system is more important than ever as the state seeks to leverage its reputation as the best in the country for business with the workforce it needs…
The immigration debate has warped into a sort of culture war that promises to bulwark against change, damn the consequences. Science fiction tropes have emerged as popular “fact,” as the ramifications of a nation without immigrants are swept under a…
With a good economy comes responsibility, and recent reports indicate Georgia’s success may hit a roadblock without significant action. Fortunately Georgia is already ramping up its transportation infrastructure, and traffic could soon become less of a reason for our growing…
It’s that time of year where we spend a lot of afternoons in public libraries. You have to get the kids out of the house somehow and it’s too hot to do anything outside, so libraries are a great way…
After reporting on the affordable housing shortage in the Atlanta region last September, I revisited the issue to see what action has been taken in the nine months since. HouseATL was created in January 2018 as a collaborative effort to…
May is National Foster Care month, a time to shine the light on the heroic efforts of all who work in this field to find the best growth environment for children. Nearly half a million children are in foster care…
April is our biggest issue, a testament to Georgia’s superlative reputation for doing business as it includes our annual Economic Yearbook. It features a dizzying amount of economic development throughout the state and the challenges and opportunities swirling around these…
I hope new momentum to support rural Georgia will bring true change in our approach to finally tackling our healthcare problems. Healthcare reform is a confusing issue, but the reality is that access to care is a huge problem in…
This year’s legislative session represents a changing of the guard, with our first new governor in eight years, our first new lieutenant governor in 12 years and many new faces in both chambers. Planning for the 2020 budget will likely…
An educated workforce is essential to Georgia. So why do we keep cutting K-12 funding?
I don’t know who it was who decided that every January we need to resolve to improve our habits. It’s an inconvenient correlation, especially so soon after New Year’s Eve. I suppose it helps ease the lingering guilt associated with…
A look at the 2018 Deals of the Year, as selected by the Georgia Economic Developers Association.
Actor Burt Reynolds, who passed away in September, had a lifelong love affair with Georgia, despite having called Florida home. He began making movies here in the 1970s, a time when many consider our state’s burgeoning film industry first got…
The success of our state depends largely on its standing in the world – all eyes will be on Georgia next month to see if our business oasis becomes a mirage.
Rising housing costs are pushing some people out of city centers, but ideas are on the table to give everyone a chance to live in town.
A healthy philanthropic community reflects a healthy business community, and the Community Foundation of Atlanta plays a huge part in that success.
A trip to San Diego brought many parallels with our own state capital into view.
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