James_Jan-Feb_2026_web - Flipbook - Page 33
Walk down any main street
in Georgia and you’ll see it: neighbors catching up, families at a ballgame, a local restaurant filled with
regulars. Those aren’t just pleasant
scenes. They remind us that the
strength of our cities isn’t in streets
or buildings, but in those who care
about them.
That caring is what we mean by
love of city. Policy and infrastructure
matter, but the future of Georgia’s
communities depends on people
being connected to the places they
call home.
Why Love Matters Now
Georgia continues to grow. Our ports
are expanding, it’s the top state to do
business in, and new residents are
arriving every day. Yet, civic trust is
eroding. The Georgia Civic Health
Index ranks our state last in the
nation for neighbors talking to each
other. Volunteering is down. Fewer
people are showing up at community meetings.
That fraying of civic life has
consequences. When people disconnect, polarization grows. When trust
weakens, problems go unsolved.
This is why love of city matters.
Author Peter Kageyama calls love
the most powerful resource a city
can have. When residents love their
community, they volunteer, invest
and build. That civic energy can’t be
legislated from Atlanta or Washington. It grows when people feel connected to the place they call home.
What Love Looks Like
Love shows up in practical ways:
clean water in the tap, safe roads,
parks where kids can play. It’s supporting law enforcement and first
responders who protect us when we
need them most.
It’s also about resilience. When
Hurricane Helene swept across
Georgia in 2024, it wasn’t far-off institutions that cleared roads or checked
on neighbors. It was local leadership
and residents stepping up for one
another. That’s love in action.
And it’s about individuals. I
remember once reading about a
young Georgia police officer who
saved the life of a baby. Asked why
he chose his career, he answered, “I
wanted to help people.” That’s the
essence of loving a city. Cities thrive
because people step up— police
officers, teachers, business owners,
volunteers.
Revitalization is another expression of love. Across Georgia, empty
storefronts have become coffee
shops, galleries, and family businesses. That didn’t happen because
someone in Washington wrote a plan.
It happened because locals believed
their community could be better.
None of this is to pretend cities don’t face challenges. They do.
Rising costs, aging infrastructure,
housing shortages, public safety concerns; the list is long. But it’s at the
local level, where government is closest to the people, that solutions take
root. That’s proof that local works.
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