By Rob Brawner, Atlanta BeltLine Partnership Executive Director

Many of us have heard the adage, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.  The second-best time is now.”

This is truer than ever about the opportunity to align investments in parks and affordable housing in Atlanta.  In the past few weeks, there have been unprecedented funding announcements supporting both parks and affordable housing:

The proposed investment in park maintenance will provide the Parks Department with the staff and equipment they need to mow grass, pick up trash, prune trees, remove invasive plants, repair facilities, and install safety features at a much higher frequency than today.  It will be invested equitably using data-driven decision-making and enable a standard of care in our parks that will help make Atlanta the best city in America to live and raise a child.

It also addresses a key concern expressed by donors, who want to have confidence that the City can take care of investments in parks.  The dedicated funding for park maintenance can unlock additional philanthropic contributions, not only along the BeltLine but throughout the city.  This support will be critical as the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership and many other non-profit organizations work with the City of Atlanta to achieve the ambitious land acquisition and park development goals laid out in the ActivateATL park and recreation master plan.

One of the many lessons we have learned from the BeltLine is that people want to live and work near quality parks and trails, as proven by nearly $9 billion of private development in the BeltLine planning area.  This creates jobs and wonderful economic opportunities, but across the country and here in Atlanta, the demand to live near greenspace also leads to increased housing costs.

The historic $300 million for affordable housing provides resources that simply did not exist when Historic Fourth Ward Park and the Eastside…