Inspired by the killing of Ahmaud Arbery and a speech by rapper Killer Mike, a group of Black families is investing from the ground up in a new community that prioritizes the safety and financial empowerment of Black residents.
"A group of 19 Black families purchased almost 97 acres of land in Toomsboro, Georgia, to plant the seeds for a thriving new city," according to an article by Victoria Moorwood.
Georgia-based realtor Ashley Scott and entrepreneur and investor Renee Walters launched The Freedom Georgia Initiative to establish a community in Georgia where Black people can feel safe. In an op-ed for Blavity, Scott explains that the killing of Ahmaud Arbery inspired the project.
"After launching their Freedom Georgia Initiative, Scott and Walters attended local city council and zoning meetings. Then, she and 19 other families came together to purchase the large amount of land in Toomsboro," explains Moorwood. "Scott plans to equip their newly owned land with Black farmers, vendors, suppliers and contractors."
More information is available on the Georgia Freedom Initiative's Facebook page.
Read the full story: 19 Black families buy over 90 acres of land to create a safe city for Black people
Revisit Michael Ford’s #BlackLivesMatter Appeal to Planners
Michael Ford opened the 2022 National Planning Conference with an engaging keynote address that offered perspective and inspiration for a changed planning profession.
The Planning Profession Needs More Black Women
If planners want to address the impacts of exclusionary planning, historical inequities, and policies that ignore the needs of women and minorities, they must address systemic inequities within the field itself.
A New Guide to Black Voices on the City
Introducing a new interactive resource that presents the contributions of the Black community to a growing understanding of cities and the built environment.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
Nation's most wind-powered state turns to coal as data centers increase energy demand
For the first time in decades, Iowa has increased its generation of coal power.
NYC cools commuters with city's first rain garden above a bus stop
New York City officials say the plants in the rain garden can absorb 16 gallons of rainwater during heavy storms.
Brightline West’s future may rely on $6 billion federal loan
The company has until Nov. 2 to make a $400 million equity investment into its proposed high-speed rail line.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association