Atlanta Awarded $1M Toward Equitable Development

ATLANTA, GA -- Atlanta has been selected for a new $1 million development initiative aimed at increasing the equity, affordability of new infrastructure in the city.

The Strong, Prosperous, And Resilient Community Challenge (SPARCC) is a locally driven effort centered around major investments that are environmentally conscious, equitable toward all citizens and climate-friendly.

The funds, awarded by the TransFormation Alliance, will include direct grants and technical assistance from metro Atlanta's business and nonprofit community.

The TransFormation Alliance is a coalition made up of a cross section of organizations, including government agencies, business leaders and nonprofit groups.

“In the past, policy and programmatic decisions about how to invest in the places we live, work, and play have all too often led to deeper poverty and less opportunity for people of color and low-income communities,” Brian Prater, executive vice president at the Low Income Investment Fund, a SPARCC partner, said in a statement.

Atlanta is one of six cities chosen for investment funding as part of a a $90 million SPARCC initiative spread out over three years. The others are the San Francisco Bay Area, Memphis, Denver, Chicago and Los Angeles.

The SPARCC award will allow city planners and leaders to capitalize on the momentum gained from multiple projects in the city's core, such as the Beltline, MARTA upgrades and new housing developments in Midtown.

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