How did Atlanta become a big city?

In the early 1950s Atlanta & Birmingham were about the same size. Mayors Hartsfield & Allen drove decisions to create a business friendly city. They expanded the airport, leveled slums, & took a more tolerant path through desegregation. 'A city too busy to hate' was the slogan. read more

Atlanta was selected in 1996 for the Olympics and this event single handedly changed the dynamics of the city. Atlanta was forced to be a bigger city than it was suppose to be because 1 million people moved here overnight. read more

She has been lauded for efforts to make the City of Atlanta "green." Under Franklin's leadership Atlanta has gone from having one of the lowest percentages of LEED certified buildings to one of the highest. In 2005, TIME Magazine named Franklin of the five best big-city American mayors. read more