Business World |
February 2015
60
tools, or water savings practices.
“Atlanta has also been recognized recently for
performing well in green buildings. In 2014,
we moved from 5th to 3rd on the EPA’s List
of Cities with the most EnergyStar® certi-
fied buildings,” Bastian notes. “This is a huge
progress marker for a one year timeframe.”
THE ATLANTAADVANTAGE
Along with Southern hospitality and a true
sense of community, there are many factors
involved when individuals, families, and
businesses choose to relocate to Atlanta.
A typical checklist involves employment,
education, quality of life, and transporta-
tion options; Atlanta excels in all of these
areas. With its employment rate on the rise,
an impressive list of colleges and universities
including Clark Atlanta University, Georgia
State University, Morehouse College, Spel-
man College, Emory University and Geor-
gia Tech all within a 15 mile radius.
In terms of transportation, the city recent-
ly launched the Atlanta Streetcar, the first
phase of a robust transportation connective-
ly plan aimed at alleviating traffic congestion
and providing commuters with ready access
to points East and West of Downtown. The
existing Streetcar loop covers 2.7 miles and
12 stops, and as a promotion, patrons have
been allowed to ride at no costfor the first
three months.
SUSTAINABILITY: THE
RIGHT FOUNDATION FOR
GOVERNMENT AND THE
COMMUNITY
With the Office of Sustainability as a cen-
tral consult to the 26 City departments on
key topics ranging from to energy and water
use reduction
measures, to
green build-
ing, and land
use, it has es-
tablished its
own internal
processes by
which all major operational decisions are
evaluated from with both environmental
and economic lenses.
Over the last four years, the administration
has increased the number of residents living
within a half mile walk of a park or greens-
pace by 15% (currently at 64%), achieved a
10% greenhouse gases (GHG) emission re-
duction (2007 baseline), and addedover 50
alternative fuel vehicles to its fleet.
