Tax Allocation Districts, Policymaker Discourse, and Gentrification: The Case of the Atlanta BeltLine

• In Event: Intersections of Education and Neighborhood, Housing, and Transportation Policies

Abstract

The Atlanta BeltLine is an economic revitalization project featuring a 23-mile walk/bike path. It is funded by a Tax Allocation District that captures increases in property taxes intended for local schools. Guided by critical discourse and policy studies, I interviewed five policymakers about the Beltline policy. I considered interview discourse alongside policy outcomes using Georgia's Education Database to identify school demographic changes between 2012 and 2020. Policymaker discourse addressed unmet promises, displacement, and unaffordability within BeltLine neighborhoods, evidenced by increased gentrification in 3 schools. Nonetheless, policymaker discourse represented unwavering support for TADs. In all, increases in property tax revenue diverted from a generation of Atlanta students will likely result in pricing low-income, primarily Black families out of several BeltLine neighborhoods.

Author

• Anne E. Martin, Georgia State University