Two Atlanta City council members are looking to block data center developments around certain areas of the Georgia city.

First reported by Axios, Atlanta City councilmen Jason Dozier and Matt Westmoreland have introduced bills to prohibit the construction of data centers near transit stops and the Beltline.

The Beltline is an urban redevelopment plan combining of green space, trails, transit, and new developments along along a 22-mile (35km) historic railway corridor encircling the center of the city. The city council recently granted millions of dollars in new funding for a new trail along the line.

“Excited to introduce legislation alongside Matt Westmoreland to address the rapid growth of data centers in Atlanta,” Dozier said on X (formerly Twitter) this week. “Atlanta's data center market is booming faster than any other in the US.”

He continued: “Their existence presents a trade-off, diverting resources and focus away from alternative, people-oriented development priorities. It's time to ensure that our city's growth is sustainable and equitable for all residents. Let's work together to shape Atlanta's future in a way that prioritizes the needs of our communities and that benefits all Atlantans.”

The pair aim to preserve the Beltline corridors for “people-orientated priorities” such as housing, retail, transportation, and green space.

Images of the bill suggest the pair aim to amend the city’s Beltline overlay and district regulation to remove and prohibit data centers as a permitted structure.

Westmoreland said: “Proud to partner with my friend and Atlanta Council colleague Jason Dozier on introducing these papers!”

Georgia is a major data center market, and although there are a number of data centers in downtown Atlanta, many developments – including most of the new hyperscale campuses – are further out of the city.

Legislation to prevent data center development along the BeltLIine has been proposed as far back as 2019.

“Thanks much to Jason Dozier and Matt Westmoreland for introducing legislation to prohibit new data centers near transit and the Atlanta BeltLine!,” Thread ATL, a non-profit organization advocating for “good urbanism” in Atlanta, said on X. “The land use near our investments in transportation alternatives needs to be oriented toward people!”

Georgia governor Brian Kemp this week vetoed a bill that would have paused tax breaks for data centers while the state conducted a review into the industry's environmental and economic impact on Georgia.