City of Atlanta | 13
ing to Mayor Reed, “Atlanta is committed
to conserving our resources and to the mis-
sion of sustainability that is inherent in this
pledge.“ The City has spent billions of dol-
lars to overhaul an aging water and sewer
infrastructure. “Atlanta is keenly aware of
the critical nature of our systems and the re-
sponsibility to protect our water sources. We
pledge to conserve water for both environ-
mental and financial reasons. Conservation
doesn’t just save water; it also saves money,”
says Mayor Reed.
Yet, whether focused on it has related to
water consumption, recycling, weatheriza-
tion tips or strategies for decreasing energy
consumption, Quarles says the initiative’s
stakeholder organizations maintain a year-
round schedule of workshops and commu-
nity forums from neighborhood to neigh-
borhood, church to church, and school to
school.
URBAN GREEN
Quarles adds that she has been especially
encouraged to see schools adopting sustain-
ability into their educational curriculum,
and students both actively and enthusias-
tically engaged in a variety of projects. A
number of schools have created gardens with
students taking a hands-on role as they learn
Old Fourth Ward Park –
Northeast Atlanta
