City of Atlanta | 13
Challenge for Water Conservation. Accord-
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,”
say Mayor Reed.
Yet whether it has related to water con-
sumption, recycling, weatherization tips or
strategies for decreasing energy consump-
tion, Quarles says the initiative’s stake-
holder organizations maintain a year-round
schedule of workshops and community fo-
rums from neighborhood to neighborhood,
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
