Atlanta historically has had one of the nation’s lowest percentages of park space per capita. Many of the poorest neighborhoods are surrounded by urban development and suffer unforeseen problems from lack of green space, such as flooding and sewage backup.

The Fund has been working in Atlanta for nearly two decades, employing our full suite of services from land acquisition and green infrastructure planning to building parks and community development. To date, we’ve completed more than 40 projects and protected more than 300 acres in the metro region. These acquisitions created the four Parks with Purpose in Atlanta which provide safe places to play, job training, and easy access to greenspace in historically underserved communities. Whether the purpose is green infrastructure to reduce flooding or an edible forest in the midst of a food desert, these parks provide unique benefits to the communities where they belong.

GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING

In 2005, Atlanta was losing 500 acres a day to development. The Blank Foundation hired The Conservation Fund to perform an assessment of Atlanta’s green infrastructure, and shortly after made a grant to the Fund that would allow us to help the city grow its green space.  Read more >>

"Parks are the green heart of Atlanta. They are our most inclusive and diverse gathering spots, providing opportunities to connect people often separated by social and income barriers."

—Arthur Blank, Founder, Home Depot and Arther M. Blank Foundation