Atlanta, GA
What is Atlanta’s Neighborhood Planning Unit project? | 50 years of local government celebrated
Atlanta City Council celebrates 50 years of NPUs
The Atlanta City Council celebrated 50 years of Atlanta Neighborhood Planning Units on Jan. 22, 2024. The NPU system began in 1974 with Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson as a way for residents to engage in city government affairs.
ATLANTA – Atlanta’s Neighborhood Planning Unit project, started in 1974 by then-Mayor Maynard Jackson, celebrated its anniversary on Monday. The Atlanta City Council honored the unique program to help everyday citizens influence City Hall.
Atlanta has 25 NPUs that weave all the city’s neighborhood together for more than 50 years. Citizens spend a lot of time in meetings deciding what they want in their communities. They tackle everything from saying no to violent crime to combating too many liquor stores to advocating for more affordable housing or better utilities.
Sherry Williams has been active with NPUs for 14 years. She says it taught her how the city government works.
“All of the city departments have to be present. So, if all of the departments are present, they explain what they do before they give their reports, and so I got great insight,” Williams commented.
“Anything that you don’t like or have concerns about, you can take that before the NPU to advocate or lobby about things that are of concern to you,” Atlanta City Council member Keisha Waites explained.
Many council members, like Jason Dozier and Byron Amos, got their start rolling up their sleeves in the NPU.
“I would not be here today without the NPU system. Someone called them super volunteers. That is an understatement,” Dozier said.
The Atlanta City Council issued a proclamation for this visionary program which has survived half a century and serves as a nationwide model.
“Let’s everyone give thanks to our former mayor, Maynard Jackson, for creating this system and allowing the citizens of Atlanta to have a voice in their community,” NPU member Reginald Russin exclaimed.
The celebration of Atlanta’s super volunteers of the NPUs will continue for an entire year.
Atlanta’s vibrant food scene offers diners so much more than comfort food classics (although top-notch versions of chicken, biscuits, and all the fixings can be found here, certainly), and leaving the city without tucking into an unforgettable meal should be criminal. But the trick is knowing where to go.
To make your stay in The A culinarily memorable, you need not only an up-to-date list of the city’s epicurean hotspots, but you also need to choose a home base that makes it easy to get to where you want to go. Choose your hotel poorly, and you might miss where fine dining finds industrial restoration in West Midtown, the continuous creative renewal in buildings and on menus in Old Fourth Ward, or the spirit and soulful flavors of Atlanta’s southside. That won’t be an issue with what’s below.
Old Fourth Ward
The walkable Old Fourth Ward neighborhood (O4W for short, which is located north of downtown Atlanta and southeast of Midtown) is home to many of the city’s top food spots. Find a morning pick-me-up from Chrome Yellow Trading Co., sweet treat from Little Tart bakery, or a decadent sandwich from Kinship Butcher & Sundry, where you can choose if you want your breakfast sausage sandwich served “double double,” or opt for a lunchier option like griddled pork belly with “drunken” mustard on brioche. Eastbound to downtown Decatur, Michelin-recommended and James-Beard-Foundation-recognized restaurants like Kimball House, home to some of metro Atlanta’s best oysters and craft cocktails, and The Deer & The Dove, where farm-to-table is performed with a fierce focus on flavor, are admired far beyond their suburban city’s limits.
O4W is also near historic Inman Park, where you can find exceptional pasta at BoccaLupo, steaks at Kevin Rathbun Steak, or dinner with premium cocktails at Ticonderoga Club at Krog Street Market.
Forth
Forth bills itself as part hotel, part local hangout and membership club, and its range of amenities and convenient location makes it a smart choice for your home base. It’s just off the Atlanta Beltline’s Eastside Trail and a five-minute walk to Ponce City Market, a food hall with stalls from a who’s-who of Atlanta’s culinary talent. (Don’t miss Botiwalla, where chef Meherwan Irani of the award-winning restaurant Chai Pani is slinging dishes inspired by Indian street food.)
Rooms at Forth mix mid-century style and modern function, you’ll find both heavy black telephones inspired by the old-school rotary dials and Bluetooth-enabled radio speakers in groovy wooden and brushed copper casing. The decor is otherwise understated, featuring metallics and earthtones, which allows the views they afford of the surrounding buildings and Beltline activity below to stay the star.
McCollum ruins Knicks’ night again, leading the Hawks to a 109-108 victory and a 2-1 lead
— CJ McCollum hit a fadeaway jumper with 12.5 seconds left to ruin New York’s night again, leading the Atlanta Hawks to a 109-108 victory and a 2-1 lead over the Knicks in their first-round…
Apr 23, 2026, 10:32 pm – AP
The measure could complicate reelection bids for Fani Willis and other Democratic prosecutors while setting off a constitutional fight.
Gov. Brian Kemp speaks during a campaign stop in Madison Friday. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
Gov. Brian Kemp signed a law Tuesday that makes most local races in five heavily Democratic metro Atlanta counties nonpartisan, embracing a Republican-backed effort that could boost the party’s chances in deep-blue areas while weakening one of its chief targets: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
The law applies to district attorneys, county commissioners and other elected officials in Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties beginning in 2028. The law exempts sheriffs. It’s unclear if it applies to the DeKalb County Commission.
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Gov. Brian Kemp signs House Bill 463 inside the Georgia Capitol building on Monday. (Ben Hendren for the AJC)
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Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.
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