How John Ahmann Is Reshaping Atlanta’s West Side Communities (Part One)

For years, the west side of Atlanta faced disinvestment, vacant homes, and families being priced out of the neighborhoods they built.

In Part One of this conversation, T. Dallas Smith sits down with John Ahmann, president and CEO of the West Side Future Fund, to break down how one of Atlanta’s most intentional revitalization efforts began and why land ownership sits at the center of long-term equity.


John shares the early days of the West Side Future Fund, from the announcement of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium to the community-driven planning process that shaped the future of English Avenue and Vine City. He explains why listening came before development, how blight and depopulation stalled progress, and what it took to create a model focused on retention instead of displacement.


You’ll also hear how the Anti-Displacement Tax Fund was built to protect longtime residents as property values rise, why controlling land changes the affordability equation, and how nearly $200 million in public, private, and philanthropic investment is reshaping Atlanta’s west side.