In each of these essays, a citizen of Georgia’s capital argues for one way we could make our city better.
How I’d Fix Atlanta was created by Austin L. Ray in 2021. It was a monthly essay series for four years. It’s been a couple of print zines and a performance on a stage a few times. Every September, it’s a fundraiser. Quite often, it’s stickers.
It’s currently a free newsletter sent on a Thursday of most months. Maybe it’ll be a book someday. How I’d Fix Atlanta is large, it contains multitudes. Thanks for stopping by.
Reader testimonials:
“This newsletter proposes outside-the-box solutions to Atlanta’s problems, from rewilding all these f@#*ing golf courses to creating a ‘Mega-Atlanta’ by redrawing the city’s boundaries.” —Atlanta Magazine
“The aptly named essay series by rabble-rouser Austin L. Ray features local writers, advocates and creatives’ novel ideas—some serious, some cheeky—to spark big-picture thinking about Atlanta’s future.” —Axios Atlanta
“How I’d Fix Atlanta gives [ATLiens] an outlet to say what we’re all thinking.” —Saporta Report
“This is a banger.” —machine gun corey
“My daughter started reading the How I’d Fix Atlanta zine and was happily shocked that something I wrote is in it. We’re very close, but she’s not hugely into in my interests, so this is very special to me. She saw me as a person, not just as her dad. They’re doing career days at her school and she demanded that I sign up. I’ll be showing the zine to 4th graders. If I get pink eye, I blame you.” —Andisheh Nouraee
“As someone who was also deeply radicalized by the decade that I lived near East Lake Golf Club, I love this.” —Lucy Bennett
“You should read this and then replace ‘Atlanta’ with ‘Cobb,’ ‘Gwinnett,’ ‘North Fulton,’ or wherever you live.“ —Matt Stigall
“The first place we stayed in ATL was a ‘missing middle’ loft above a 100-year-old house along North Ave. It fit our needs perfectly. The city needs more, more, more of this!” —Parker Hamilton
“Georgia had the second-lowest per capita expenditures of public libraries in the country as of 2018. Thanks to Sonam Vashi for writing about the need to boost funds for public libraries!“ —Darin Givens
“Found myself saying ‘yes! and also yes!!’ to this piece. I, too, fucking love libraries and loved getting to read about what an incredible resource they are and could be for the city.”“ —Sarah Lawrence
“Georgia has too many jurisdictions and, specifically, metro Atlanta has too many jurisdictions. Sign me up for Mega-Atlanta.” —Maggie Lee
“I really love this idea. If Atlanta wants to avoid the potential of a future like others—NIMBYism, hyper-local governments, even worse traffic, lack of adequate mass transit, more inequality, and more impacts on climate, it’s better to be a unified municipality.” —King Williams
“Retake the Braves, throw in Stone Mountain. I want Smyrna’s cute little ass to be ATL proper.” —Richard Wade Morgan
“All of this. Whenever I’m in DC or London I love just being able to get on transit to go anywhere and walk in between. I keep thinking I’ll sell my car while I’m remote, but then imagine the hell that would be going to Chamblee from SW Atlanta a few days a week.” —Trista McGlamery
“Atlanta influences everything. It would be great if we led the way to a walkable, car-free world.” —Michael Hunter