A New Look, 30 Years in the Making
Category: News
The Downtown Ambassador Force launched in conjunction with the 1996 Olympic Games, when Atlanta was preparing to welcome the world. The idea was simple: create a friendly, helpful presence on Downtown’s streets to make visitors feel safe and welcome.
This month, we returned to the Hyatt to recreate that iconic photo and unveil the Ambassador Force’s new uniforms and branding.
Several dozen Ambassadors filled the escalator, including team members who have served Downtown for more than 20 years. Standing together in their new uniforms, they created a photo that celebrates how far the program has come while honoring the people who helped build it.
Over the past three decades, the Ambassador Force has grown and evolved alongside Downtown. What began as a way to welcome Olympic visitors is now a year-round operation made up of three specialized teams working together to keep Downtown clean, safe and welcoming.
Public Safety Ambassadors provide a visible, friendly, and authoritative presence throughout Downtown. They welcome and assist visitors, provide directions, patrol public spaces and parking areas, respond to a wide range of needs, including medical emergencies and dead batteries, and help address concerns as they arise. They also work alongside public safety agencies when additional support is needed. Through their daily presence and engagement, they help create a Downtown that is safe, welcoming, and vibrant.
Clean Team Ambassadors care for Downtown’s streets and public spaces by collecting litter, removing graffiti, pressure washing, providing tree care, and handling the daily maintenance that keeps Downtown clean and well maintained. They also contribute to Downtown’s vibrancy through seasonal color plantings in curbside planters, hanging flower baskets, landscaped areas, and colorful light pole banners. Much of this work goes unnoticed, until it isn’t done. They take pride in keeping Downtown clean, maintained, welcoming, and vibrant.
Homeless Outreach Ambassadors build relationships with people experiencing homelessness and connect them with case management, transportation, family reunification assistance, housing placements, and other essential resources. Their street outreach work is focused on building trust, meeting people where they are, and helping connect them to pathways toward stability. They are also actively engaged in Atlanta’s broader homeless response system, advocating for Downtown’s needs while working with community partners to identify solutions and connect people to appropriate services and housing.
The new uniforms give each team a distinct identity, making our Ambassadors easier to recognize and helping the public understand how they can assist. The uniforms are highly visible and include improved safety features, such as reflective striping, along with enhanced comfort and climate-appropriate materials to better support our teams in the field.
A lot has changed since that original photograph was taken. The pith hats have been retired, the teams have expanded and the work has grown. But the heart of the program remains the same.
For nearly 30 years, our Ambassadors have shown up every day to care for Downtown and the people who live, work and spend time here. This new look represents the next chapter of that story and the same unmistakable spirit of welcome that started it all.
Read more about the uniforms on 11 Alive by clicking here
