About 1,500 metro Atlanta leaders attended the Atlanta Regional Commission’s 2024 State of the Region event today to take stock of metro Atlanta and explore key regional challenges through the theme of the “Power of Connection.”

In her State of the Region address, ARC Executive Director Anna Roach said ARC is committed to channeling the power of connection to move the region forward.

“We can only do that by collaborating with our community partners – and that means all of you! That’s how we create One Great Region,” she said. “This morning, I’ve had the distinct pleasure to highlight our region’s success stories and shine the spotlight on the new and innovative programs that are making a real difference in our community. We can’t forget why we are doing this work. It’s about people. It’s about changing lives.”

Roach also discussed ARC’s “Reconnecting the Region” initiative, which leverages new federal grant programs to make strategic investments aimed to bridge divides created by major infrastructure projects. She highlighted the Flint River Gateway Trails, a planned 31-mile network of multi-use trails that will connect the cities of College Park, East Point, and Hapeville and Clayton County, providing new recreational opportunities and better access to jobs and services.

The keynote address was delivered by former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who talked about his efforts to improve opportunities for young people in metro Atlanta through his nonprofit, ATL: Advance the Lives.

Metro Atlanta Speaks Survey Shows Economy is Region’s Top Concern

ARC today also released results from the 2024 Metro Atlanta Speaks public opinion survey, which found the economy is the Atlanta region’s top concern. When asked about the biggest problem facing metro Atlanta, 32% of the respondents said the economy, followed by crime at 20%, and human services at 12%.

Other survey highlights:

• Housing affordability remains a challenge for many: Nearly two of three respondents (64%) said they could not afford to move to another house or apartment in their current neighborhood, about the same as last year

• Transportation takes a “back seat” to other regional issues: Prior to the pandemic, transportation consistently ranked as the region’s top challenge. This year, transportation came in fourth, with 11% of respondents choosing it as the region’s biggest problem. That’s the same as last year’s survey.

• Majority are concerned about climate change: More than half of respondents (53%) said climate change is a “major global threat” in the next 10 years. That compares to 59% a year ago, the first year ARC asked this question.

• Emergency health care access challenges: In a new question this year, nearly one in four respondents said they “strongly disagreed” or “agreed” that an ambulance would arrive in a timely fashion in case of a medical emergency.

• Concerns over AI: In another new question, 42% of respondents said they felt that artificial intelligence would have a “mostly negative” effect on society, while 30% said it would be “more balanced” and 22% said “mostly positive.”

For additional information about the 2024 survey, including county level results, please visit atlantaregional.org/metroatlantaspeaks.