In the spirit of transformation on the dawn of the new year, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution asked local movers and shakers around town to envision ways the city could improve itself and suggest New Year’s resolutions for Atlanta that would make it a better place to live, work and play.

Some common themes emerged, namely affordable housing and transit woes, but overall the answers were as varied as the people we asked. Here’s what they had to say.

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Ryan Marshall

President and CEO of PulteGroup

“What would I love to see in metro Atlanta for 2025? A concerted effort to address the housing shortage across the region. A strong, vibrant and thriving community must have ample and varied housing options available. After years of underbuilding we have seen the local and national supply of housing, especially affordable housing, drop to inadequate levels. We need to think creatively about expanding housing options, and we need to implement these housing solutions at scale. We need to look closely at metro Atlanta’s housing options and be intentional about locating a diverse mix of housing available near the jobs.”

Credit: Alison Cohen Rosa

Credit: Alison Cohen Rosa

Karin Slaughter

International bestselling author

“The city should fix the pot holes, specifically the ones on my street and the ones along the route to my local Kroger. I think people feel better when the city attends to the basic things. And people would be happier if they were not breaking their teeth every time they hit a massive sinkhole in the middle of the street.”

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Andre Dickens

Mayor of Atlanta

“I want us to work regionally around mental health and homelessness — the whole, 21-county region — to solve it together, versus Atlanta bearing the brunt.”

Credit: Fox Nation

Credit: Fox Nation

Nancy Grace

Host of “Crime Stories with Nancy Grace” on Tubi and YouTube

“I’d like the city of Atlanta and Fulton County to increase salary and benefits for our amazing law enforcement. They also need to address the juvenile justice system, adding more workers and better alternatives to help and educate juvenile offenders, whether in custody or non custodial, instead of spending all the taxpayers’ money on their own costly vanity projects.”

Credit: AJC

Credit: AJC

Fahamu Pecou

Artist and founder of the African Diaspora Art Museum of Atlanta

“Over the last few years we’ve seen a dramatic influx of people moving to Atlanta from everywhere — if you don’t believe me, just try to get from downtown to Midtown via 75/85 on any given Tuesday! The traffic snarls and cramped gathering spots have prompted cries of, ‘We full.’ My New Year’s resolution for the city is to embrace itself as the new American metropolis. For far too long we’ve heard assertions that Atlanta is like the New York or the Hollywood of the South. But really we are Atlanta — a dynamic cultural wellspring and vibrant economic center and a global destination. My wish for the city is to lean into all things that make us dope and desirable (and to do something about the traffic because that really does suck!)”

Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Andy Stanley

Founder of North Point Ministries and senior pastor of North Point Community Church

“My wish is that each of us would stop to consider the lived experience of the people around us … and treat one another accordingly.”

Credit: Ryan Fleisher

Credit: Ryan Fleisher

Puddles Pity Party

Singer

“Obviously, more affordable housing and mental health care and no-kill animal shelters and improved transit solutions. But also, here’s to more art events and murals and live music! And even more inclusion. And community activities for kids and older folks, too. And more and more love. I love you, Atlanta!”

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Katie Kirkpatrick

President & CEO, Metro Atlanta Chamber

“The Chamber will be looking very closely at a few opportunities for the region next year — in particular, water, transit and homelessness. Water is one of the least visible but possibly most critical elements of a well-functioning infrastructure system. A priority for the region’s long-term sustained growth, we need to strategically plan for a more resilient water future in the state of Georgia. ... I want to see MARTA raise the bar on customer experience and operational reliability as we prepare to welcome the world to Atlanta for FIFA World Cup. Atlantans deserve a transit experience that reflects the caliber of our region. Finally ... we must work together to address and support metro Atlanta’s unsheltered population.”

Credit: Jason Travis

Credit: Jason Travis

Austin L. Ray

Writer and creator of the newsletter “How I’d Fix Atlanta”

“As Atlanta keeps growing, I find myself thinking most about transit and housing. They’re big, complex, obvious issues that have been a problem for us for a long time, but I think they’re more important than ever and where we need to put our energy if we want to avoid the disaster of our city being overcrowded in the future.

We need to be thinking more creatively about what shape housing takes — missing middle (housing) as opposed to single family homes, affluent NIMBYs getting over the fact that their neighborhoods need apartments, options that are affordable to everyday, working-class people.

On the transit side, that means Beltline rail. It means more bike infrastructure. We’ve made huge gains on the bike stuff in the last couple of years, but we got to keep going if we’re going to get people out of their cars. It means a massive overhaul of MARTA, more infill stations, more bus lines, better headways.”

Credit: Addison-Hill

Credit: Addison-Hill

Dan Dipiazzo

Chief Marketing & Experience Officer, Georgia Aquarium

“I look forward to even more collaboration among area attractions as we prepare for major, citywide events, and to continuously give visitors and residents new reasons to explore our great city and stay longer to experience everything we have to offer.”

Credit: Courtesy of the Lewis-Kortez Group

Credit: Courtesy of the Lewis-Kortez Group

Willie Moore Jr.

Syndicated radio personality, performer, minister, film producer, podcaster

“If anything is needed, in short, it’s education of what Atlanta is and who Atlanta is. If I were making a resolution for the city, I would want people to know hip-hop is our driver but not our identity. I pray that young college students know that this is such an epicenter (for history and civil rights). I want them to know about John Lewis, know about Ralph Abernathy, Donald Hollowell and Jesse Hill Jr., who is my uncle, and Andy Young. Next year I want to see us really fight to keep African American education in our schools. We have to preserve our rich history.”

Credit: Photo courtesy of Eddie's Attic

Credit: Photo courtesy of Eddie's Attic

Michelle Malone

Musician

“I think Atlanta should resolve to put less emphasis on marketing to convince businesses and people to move here and more on helping the folks already living here. As such, we have enormous problems with huge implications on our future. While homelessness and child hunger are still rampant, human trafficking is our biggest and ugliest issue. Did you know that Atlanta has one of the highest rates of human trafficking — including child trafficking — in the United States? None of this is acceptable. Spend more time and money on education per child — on literacy, math, the arts and whatever else it takes to protect and educate them. Then maybe the next generation won’t have all these problems.”

Credit: Miguel Martinez

Credit: Miguel Martinez

Brian McGowan

President, Centennial Yards

“This is the year we have to get it done and get it over the line. There’s universal agreement that World Cup preparations are and should be a priority for not only the city, but the entire region. This is a big year for us. It’s time to execute.”

Credit: Ariel Hart

Credit: Ariel Hart

Chioke Perry

Client advisory board member at St. Joseph’s Mercy Care

“We’ve got a great opportunity being in Atlanta to do so much more. The mission is clearly outlined: the love and care of humans ... We’ve got a great opportunity being in Atlanta to do so much more. Housing is health care, health care is housing.”

Credit: Courtesy of Josh Lee

Credit: Courtesy of Josh Lee

Josh Lee

Executive chef at Cafe Momentum nonprofit restaurant and James Beard Award semifinalist

“Let it be known: As we do in the music industry, we need to do the same (with) the food. There are a lot of great African American chefs here in the city and outside of the city, and there’s a lot that deserve to be recognized for their work. ... Numerous chefs and people are doing excellent things and not getting recognized.”

Credit: RODNEY HO/rho

Credit: RODNEY HO/rho

Clark Howard

Consumer advocate

“I would create school choice so that kids in poor neighborhoods have a chance to succeed and excel. Second, I would privatize every city service that could be performed better in the private sector.”

Credit: Sean Black

Credit: Sean Black

Leisha McKinley-Beach

National HIV consultant and CEO of Black Public Health Academy

“What I want to see in 2025 is an intentional effort to end new HIV diagnoses in the state of Georgia ... and for us to be able to show promise that we are heading in the right direction. Right now, Georgia is one of the states in the country that is not heading in the right direction. As we have celebrated declines in new HIV infections almost everywhere, we’ve seen an increase in our state. We need to revive the existing blueprint that will center the population that is carrying the burden of new cases in Georgia: Black populations. Black people represent nearly 70% of Georgia’s HIV burden. We can’t continue using the same strategy and expect the same results. We can bring those cases down.”

Credit: Courtesy Cousins Properties

Credit: Courtesy Cousins Properties

Colin Connolly

President and CEO of Cousins Properties

“It’s important to continue to build on the early success as it relates to affordable housing. ... As long as we continue to house and educate the population, Atlanta has a bright future.”

Taylor Scott

Morning host of syndicated “The Kevin & Taylor Show” based out of Atlanta’s Fish 104.7

“I would love to see the Atlanta Braves win another World Series, that people would take advantage of our incredible national and state parks and get outside, and that the cars from the Jetsons would become commonplace so we can fly over traffic.”

Responses edited for length and clarity.

— Riley Bunch, Danielle Charbonneau, Felicia Feaster, Zachary Hansen, Ariel Hart, Rodney Ho, DeAsia Paige, Shelia Poole, Michael Scaturro, Lee Valentine Smith, Scott Trubey and Olivia Wakim contributed to this article.