By Hannah E. Jones, Park Pride’s Marketing & Communications Manager
It’s that time again — election season in the city. This November, the Atlanta City Council President and all City Council seats are reopening (in addition to other positions, including Mayor, School Board, Municipal Court Judges, and Public Service Commission).
This year, three city leaders have opted out of running for re-election, including City Council President Doug Shipman, District 2 Councilmember Amir Farokhi, and District 7 Councilmember Howard Shook. To see a map of the council districts, click here.
We sat down with each of these city leaders — meeting in the park of their choice — to take a look at their time in office, the important role parks play in our city, and ways they were champions for greenspace.
City Council President Doug Shipman – Served one term
For Atlanta City Council President Doug Shipman, parks are an integral part of his everyday life, with a special affinity for one in particular — Freedom Park. Shipman has lived off the park since the early 2010s, providing a space for his daily runs, for his dog to explore, and for his kids to learn to ride bikes.
“It really is integrated deeply into my daily life,” he said.
While he’s long held an appreciation for greenspace, Shipman shared that his understanding of parks and the roles they play within our city has changed during his time in office.
“What I’ve learned is that different parks serve different specific roles based on the neighborhood character, and that’s really special,” he said. “It also means that you have to think about the design elements and the programming of parks based on how the community uses them.”
Shipman also points to how critical park maintenance is, an area that is chronically underfunded and difficult to generate funds for, compared to flashier projects like a new playground or walking path. In 2023, Park Pride and partners successfully advocated for an increased budget dedicated to park maintenance.
“Maintenance has improved. We funded it, the stats show it, and you can feel it when you’re out. There’s less trash than there was four years ago, and the grass is cut more often,” Shipman said. “I’m very proud of that because I think it’s a positive cycle. When people see parks maintained more, they’re less likely to litter, and they’re more likely to pick up trash. They’re also more likely to [visit] a park if it’s clean.”
Referring to funding, he added, “I’ve tried to make sure that we’re not just splitting the pie into smaller pieces, but investing more and adding more, because I think that that’s what people want.”
A park win that Shipman is particularly proud of is the City’s recent acquisition of the Lucinda Bunnen property in Buckhead, which is slated to become a park. He has been working with Parks Commissioner Justin Cutler, the Conservation Fund, and other partners on details like where to install a playground, trash can placements and more. To Shipman, this is an example of prioritizing greenspace within our urban landscape.
“In Atlanta, climate change really hits us in two ways — heat and water. Parks and greenspaces mitigate both of those threats,” Shipman said. “The more greenspace we have and the more tree coverage we have, the heat island effects [will be reduced]. We have a real urgency around parks and greenspace because it is our best climate mitigation defense.”
District 2 Councilmember Amir Farokhi – Served two terms
As a representative for the densest parts of town, Councilmember Amir Farokhi is keenly attuned to how vital greenspace is within an urban setting.
“Human beings want to be outside, and in cities, you tend to trade off your ability to feel as if you’re in the wild,” Farokhi said. “Parks are the moment where you can take a deep breath and remember you’re human amongst the concrete jungle. Park spaces are respites that should be protected.”
Farokhi joked that choosing a favorite park is akin to choosing a favorite child (we agree), but he points to Historic Fourth Ward Park as an example of a greenspace that has become a community focal point.
“Between the skate park, the playgrounds, the green open space and the retention pond — it has set the [standard] for what people want to see for other parks in the city,” he said.
Before taking office, Farokhi didn’t realize all the moving pieces and various partnerships that go into making a park great.
“Successful parks are a community exercise between conservancies, groups like Park Pride, the City, and individual neighborhood groups. A lot of great stuff only happens because folks beyond city government get involved,” he said. “It’s a blessing and a curse. On one hand, there are parks that don’t have that support, and those parks can languish. But the parks that do have it, they flourish, and it’s more than the city could ever do.”
He continued: “Organizations like Park Pride are what make a city first-class. Everything great that happens in a city happens through partnership. Sometimes [Park Pride is] an advocate, and oftentimes, you’re a partner with the City, neighborhoods and nonprofits that make parks come to life. If we look back at all the things Park Pride has helped make happen in the city, it would be gargantuan.”
District 7 Councilmember Howard Shook – Served six terms
Councilmember Howard Shook is the longest-serving member on the City Council, having represented District 7 since 2001. During his time in office, Shook has been a staunch advocate for greenspace in northeast Atlanta. When Shook was first elected, his district was sorely lacking in parks and greenspace but thanks to efforts resulting in several new parks and PATH400, this has changed.
“Years ago, I took a hard look at the fact that, per capita, this district was last in the city in terms of acres. I said, ‘This is a huge hole in our otherwise glittering portfolio. Are we okay with that, or do we want to do something about it?’ The resounding answer was, ‘Let’s go,’” Shook said.
He was a major advocate for creating what is now Little Nancy Creek Park, a five-acre park in North Buckhead featuring a playground, two pavilions, a community garden, a walking trail, an exercise area, and a bench swing overlook. Shook credits Joseph Cronk, with the Friends of Little Nancy Creek Park and a former Park Pride board member, as an instrumental player in making the park what it is today.
“I had to fight really hard to talk the City into buying the land. This was the site of many failed subdivision attempts, and North Buckhead was tired of fighting off wave after wave of [developers]. [I was told,] ‘There’s never going to be anything besides a park bench and a trash can.’ I said, ‘Deal,’” Shook recalled with a laugh.
He added: “The first thing I saw today [at Little Nancy Creek Park] was a great blue heron working the creek. I already feel better.”
If you want more, check out the extended versions of these interviews on Park Pride’s website.
