The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation kicked-off its new speaker series last night with a riveting presentation by internationally-recognized futurist Joel Kotkin, who told more than 100 attendees from the public and private sector that Atlanta needs to take a hard look at broad affordability in housing and quality of life if it truly hopes to be a "city of aspiration."

Kotkin said a city and region's ability to have a vibrant future strongly depends on its ability to create jobs, offer affordable housing and generate entrepreneurial openings to a growing and highly diverse population.

"The City of Aspiration," he said, understands that it must nurture and grow an upwardly mobile middle class and provide the greatest number of opportunities to the broadest spectrum of residents.

"In the future, class will become more important than race in metropolitan cities," Kotkin said. "For cities to thrive, it is important that they not only absorb newcomers, but support the education and economic development of their current citizens."

Kotkin's presentation is available online at .

The Blank Family Foundation Speaker Series is a quarterly event designed to convene citizens and city leadership around issues and concerns that shape the quality of life in Atlanta, the nation and the world. Each event will bring nationally and internationally known experts on a variety of subjects.

"We hope the series will initiate discussions that go beyond the time we have with our speakers," Blank Foundation President Penelope McPhee said. "The ideas introduced here can hopefully stimulate the action and longer-term dialogue we need to help the Atlanta community find solutions to some of our most vexing problems."

An authority on global, economic, political and social trends, Joel Kotkin has completed studies on the future of several major cities, including New York, St. Louis, Houston, Phoenix, Laval (Quebec's second largest city) and Los Angeles. He has also authored the best selling books, The City: A Global History and The New Geography: How the Digital Revolution is Reshaping the American Landscape and regularly writes for The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal.

About The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation

Formed in 1995, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation is focused on improving early childhood development, enhancing education, preserving green space, sustaining the arts and sparking collaboration among its nonprofit partners, primarily in Atlanta.

Arthur M. Blank is owner & CEO of the Atlanta Falcons and Georgia Force. He co-founded The Home Depot, the world's largest home improvement retailer, in 1978 and retired from the company as co-chairman in 2001. Through his generosity, the foundation, along with Blank and his wife's personal giving, has granted over $220 million to various charitable organizations.