Atlanta City Council Bans Data Centers Along Beltline

The Atlanta City Council voted Tuesday, Sept. 3, to ban data centers along and near the Atlanta Beltline and within a half-mile of MARTA stations.

The new legislation aims to preserve new residential and mixed-use developments, trails and green space along the 22-mile Beltline trail loop that encircles the city’s urban core. The council also wants to ensure that the Beltline remains focused on building more affordable housing and providing safe space for pedestrians, cyclists and others in non-vehicular modes of transportation.

“This legislation sets Atlanta apart from other cities in the country because we are looking to change the way we deal with data centers in our urban core,” Councilman Jason Dozier said during Tuesday’s meeting. He and Councilman Matt Westmoreland introduced the legislation earlier this year.

Companies like Facebook, Microsoft and Amazon are investing in large data centers in metro Atlanta to handle the rising demand from online consumers. Between 2022 and 2023, the number of data centers under construction in Atlanta will increase by 211%, making it one of the top cities in the country for new data centers.

From the first to the second half of 2023, construction of data center projects “increased from over 235 megawatts to over 730 megawatts, which is equivalent to the output of a typical natural gas power plant,” the legislation said.

Westmoreland and Dozier issued written statements after the meeting, saying that banning new data centers near the Beltline and transit areas “would ensure that Atlanta’s growth is balanced, sustainable and focused on the well-being of its residents.”

“This legislation reflects our commitment to preserving the unique character of our neighborhoods, protecting our environment and ensuring that the development of our city prioritizes the needs of the people who live and work here,” Westmoreland said.

The legislation banning the centers near the Beltline also notes that the next phases of development along the corridor will occur in predominantly black, brown and poor neighborhoods. These neighborhoods have historically been hardest hit by environmental pollution due to interstate development and proximity to landfills.

“Atlanta’s data center market is one of the fastest growing in the country. While this growth underscores Atlanta’s emergence as a major player in the data center ecosystem, it also raises serious concerns about the impact on our urban environment and critical infrastructure,” Dozier said.