Learn about StationSoccer, an innovative program in Atlanta which connects communities through transit, soccer, and leadership training.
What comes to mind when you hear the term "transit-oriented development" or TOD for short? Most people probably think of some type of mixed-use or housing development above or adjacent to a public transit station. In this article, Karen Jordan discusses StationSoccer which is an innovative program that connects communities through transit, soccer, and leadership training. The program is run by Atlanta not-for-profit, Soccer in the Streets, with Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) and the City of Atlanta as key partners.
Soccer in the Street was established in 1989 and offers free soccer programs for underserved youth in the metro Atlanta area. In 2016 StationSoccer was launched on the plaza level at Five Points Station, resulting in the first soccer field project inside a train station in the world. After the success of Five Points - StationSoccer, the program was expanded to include additional stations. StationSoccer now serves about 1,000 children in Metro Atlanta, with approximately 200 participants at each of the five sites that are currently operating.
The work of StationSoccer has garnered well-deserved awards and attention. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg even visited StationSoccer’s East Point location last year as he was interested in seeing transit-oriented projects and finding out how various partnerships in neighborhoods can be formed to fuel their success.
To learn more about StationSoccer, please read the source article.
FULL STORY: Atlanta’s StationSoccer Connecting Communities
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