Atlanta Urbanist Book Group
A Better Atlanta, One Book at a Time
Our mission at the Atlanta Urbanist Book Group is to introduce new ideas to Urban Atlanta by reading recent books about cities, identifying the ideas we think would work in Atlanta, and offering civic leaders a guide to these ideas.
We define “urbanism” broadly. We are reading books about transportation, land use, housing, public safety, government reform, neighborhoods, social infrastructure, education, economic development, regionalism, diversity, politics, arts and culture, volunteerism, and more.
Our aim isn’t to review books but to show how their ideas apply to Atlanta today and suggest ways of moving from good ideas to good actions.
Interested? Like to join us for a discussion? Click here to sign up for our email notices about books and meeting dates.
You can also subscribe to our calendar of events on Google. Click this link to have our meetings connected to your phone’s calendar and updated two or three months in advance. You’ll never have to wonder when the Atlanta Urbanist Book Group meets next.
Next Book: The Pool Is Closed: Segregation, Summertime, and the Search for a Place to Swim
Oct 1, 2025
We will discuss a book about how children learn to swim and grow into adults who enjoy swimming—and why this can be difficult for urban children today. Reason: There are not enough public swimming pools. As you’ll learn, there once were more public venues. At a point, swimming became privatized.
Hannah S. Palmer is a writer who lives in the Atlanta area.
We will look for lessons in this book that could make Urban Atlanta better.