A rendering of Atlantic Station

Atlanta workers face the nation's longest average commute and some of its most polluted air. Atlanta's rapidly sprawling development helped cause the 60 ozone days -- a day when smog is at dangerous levels for children and people with respiratory problems -- the region had in 1999. That's not surprising considering that a typical auto-dependent suburban shopping center causes the emission of over half the nitrogen oxides, five times the organic gases, and over 30 times the carbon monoxide of a major power plant. Atlantic Station, an innovative project planned for midtown Atlanta, promises a dramatic change in the city's emissions-heavy growth.

What makes Atlantic Station stand out is its relative freedom from the car. Its offices, parks, shops, and homes will all be within easy walking distance of each other and public transportation. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency studied how this design might improve air quality by modeling Atlantic Station's likely emissions against two suburban developments. The comparisons showed that Atlantic Station would likely produce half as much driving -- and in turn much lower emissions of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, the precursors of ozone smog, as well as of carbon dioxide, the main gas that causes global warming. Thanks to the prospect of cleaner air, local officials and the EPA endorsed the project, and construction is now underway. As Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell said, "This is the most important development project in Atlanta in the last 50 years, bar none."

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Illustration: Atlantic Station, LLC