A global philanthropy co-led by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has gifted more than $9 million to reimagine a cherished but under-invested neighborhood park south of downtown Atlanta. 

Atlanta-based nonprofit Park Pride announced today the Bezos Earth Fund has awarded the organization $9.4 million to spearhead “a transformational park redesign project” at Peoplestown’s Four Corners Park. 

Spanning nearly 5 acres, the greenspace is located along Hank Aaron Drive and MARTA’s new Rapid A-Line, the region’s first Bus Rapid Transit system. It’s roughly a block north of Peoplestown warehouse redevelopment Terminal South and, just south of there, the Atlanta Beltline’s newest trail. The park today includes two basketball courts, a pavilion, community gardens, a playground, and the Rick McDevitt Youth Center. 

According to Park Pride, Atlanta is one of eight cities to land Bezos Earth Fund grants from a $100-million initiative called Greening America’s Cities. The program aims to bring to fruition immersive outdoor spaces, large greenspace projects, and parks designed by communities. 

The nearly 5-acre greenspace's location in Peoplestown, in relation to Terminal South, the Beltline corridor, and other landmarks. Google Maps/Urbanize Atlanta

Courtesy of Park Pride

Park Pride leaders have gathered input from Peoplestown neighbors over the course of several years to develop a comprehensive renovation plan for what’s considered a community cornerstone park, per officials.

Park Pride’s Vision Plan 2023 for Four Corners Park calls for covered basketball courts, flexible gathering areas, a skatepark, composting areas, communal gardens, and new playgrounds, including one for toddlers, among other features. 

“The new [park] design will bring accessible play and recreation areas that will ensure that every child, regardless of ability, can fully participate,” Park Pride officials noted in today’s grant announcement. “Environmental infrastructure, along with dedicated community gardening and composting areas, will deepen the park's role as a place of stewardship and hands-on connection to the natural world.” 

Other changes call for safety features and improved circulation to make the park more welcoming and navigable from every entrance, per Park Pride. 

Four Corners Park (left) in early 2025, as seen looking north along Hank Aaron Drive. Google Maps

The Bezos Earth Fund, based in the U.S., is led by president and CEO Tom Taylor and operated under the direction of chairman Jeff Bezos and vice chair Lauren Sánchez Bezos. 

“Our hope is that these projects serve as a blueprint for turning underutilized space into community assets,” said Taylor in the announcement, “and encourage even more investment in greenspaces—from government, philanthropy, and others—in cities across the country.”

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens called the investment “significant” for Peoplestown and another notch in the city’s expanding roster of parks and greenspaces. Atlanta has risen on the national ParkScore Index ranking from 49th to 18th over the course of the past decade, according to a report released in May.  

“This project is about more than a ranking,” Dickens noted in a statement. “It’s about investing in a Peoplestown community shaped by a history of redlining, displacement, and infrastructure decisions that cut neighborhoods off from opportunity.” 

A closer look at planned changes outlined in Park Pride's Vision Plan 2023 for Four Corners Park. Courtesy of Park Pride

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