On September 24, 2025, the Council for Quality Growth and Atlanta Beltline, Inc. will host the State of the Beltline address and breakfast from 8:00 – 10:30 AM. The 2025 event will host an expected 350 guests at The Eastern, a state-of-the-art theater adjacent to the Atlanta Beltline Eastside Trail. This concludes the Council’s annual series of “State of” events, following eight regional county addresses and State of MARTA earlier this year.

This year is significant for the State of the Beltline event because Clyde Higgs, President & CEO of the Atlanta Beltline, Inc., also serves as the 2025 Board Chair for the Council for Quality Growth. “Clyde’s leadership has been pivotal in shaping the Beltline into what it is today, and his service as the Council’s 2025 Board Chair underscores the deep alignment between our mission at the Council for Quality Growth and the Beltline’s transformative impact on Atlanta’s future,” said Michael E. Paris, the Council’s President & CEO.

The 2025 State of the Beltline will feature a fireside chat with Clyde Higgs and Anna Roach, the Executive Director & CEO of the Atlanta Regional Commission. The theme of the event and title of their conversation is “20 Years of Generational Impact: Dreaming, Doing, Delivering.” Roach will moderate a discussion with Higgs on the 2 decades of impact and progress from the Atlanta Beltline and look ahead to what is next in the story of completing the 22-mile loop, advancing economic growth, affordable housing, and community engagement as the Beltline celebrates its 20^th anniversary.

The “people-powered” Beltline continues to advance several high-profile projects in 2025, including the new addition to the Westside Trail and progress on the Southside Trail, bringing the loop closer to completion. Significant investments are also being made in affordable housing, with more than 4,200 affordable units created or preserved in the Beltline Tax Allocation District. New greenspaces and parks like Enota Park have been announced along the corridor, expanding access to recreation while strengthening community ties. In addition, the Beltline is working with local businesses through targeted programs to ensure economic opportunity reaches every corner of the project’s footprint.

Since its founding in 2005, Atlanta Beltline, Inc. has worked to deliver one of the nation’s most ambitious redevelopment projects. On track for completion in 2030, the Beltline has become a model for urban redevelopment by driving connectivity, supporting job creation, expanding affordable housing, creating parks and trails, and engaging residents across the city. 

The State of the Beltline event will also feature updates from Ruben Brooks, Chief Operating Officer of the Atlanta Beltline, Inc., Rob Brawner, Executive Director of the Atlanta Beltline Partnership, and Michael E. Paris, President & CEO of the Council for Quality Growth.

Press are invited to attend with prior registration. RSVP to Anna Frances Gardner at  [email protected].

What: 2025 State of the Beltline 

Who: Atlanta’s Business, Civic, and Community Leaders

Featured Speakers:

• Clyde Higgs, President & CEO, Atlanta Beltline, Inc.

• Anna Roach, Executive Director & CEO, Atlanta Regional Commission

• Ruben Brooks, Chief Operating Officer, Atlanta Beltline, Inc.

• Rob Brawner, Executive Director, Atlanta Beltline Partnership 

When: Wednesday, September 24, 2025, 8:00 – 10:30 AM

Where: The Eastern (777 Memorial Drive SE, Atlanta, GA 30316) 

Tickets are required for guests and are available online at www.CouncilforQualityGrowth.org.

• $75 | Council for Quality Growth Members

• $95 | Non-members

Tickets and sponsorships can be purchased here: https://councilforqualitygrowth.memberzone.com/events/details/2025-state-of-the-beltline-5906