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David Allison, B.A. '84, editor of the Atlanta Business Chronicle, shares his top 10 Atlanta business stories of 2010

1. Fixing Atlanta's transportation mess
   In April, the state legislature adopted a transportation funding bill that will let Georgians vote by region whether to raise sales taxes to pay for needed highway and transit projects.
2. No progress in "water war"
   In 2009, a federal judge gave Georgia, Alabama and Florida until July 2012 to reach a deal over Atlanta's use of water from Lake Lanier. During 2010, little progress was made.
3. Big changes at airlines, airport
   Georgia's economic engine is Atlanta's airport, the world's busiest. In 2010, Delta Air Lines completed its integration of Northwest, Continental merged with United, and Southwest agreed to buy AirTran, which hubs in Atlanta.
4. Banks going belly up
   During 2010, Georgia remained the epicenter of the nation's banking crisis. Between January and mid September, 14 Georgia banks failed while more than 120 failed nationwide.
5. Job creation stalls
   As of August, the state unemployment rate was 10 percent and it marked the 35th consecutive month the state's unemployment rate was higher than the national unemployment rate.
6. The search for energy
   Georgia companies have been trying to develop alternative energy sources. Georgia Power continued working in 2010 on two new nuclear reactors. Solar companies like Suniva and Mage Solar expanded. Meanwhile, Georgia's first wood-to-ethanol plant opened.
7. Mergers and acquisitions
   This year saw a number of billion dollar-plus deals including The Coca-Cola Co.'s purchase of the North American assets of Coca-Cola Enterprises; Mirant Corp.'s merger with RRI Energy; and Gentiva Health Services acquisition of Odyssey Healthcare.
8. Housing hangover
   Georgia had the seventh-most foreclosures of any state during the third quarter of 2010.
9. Globalization
   Sony Ericsson placed its new Americas headquarters here early in the year; The city hosted a group of world ambassadors in October; and the state's ports handled record freight.
10. Commercial real estate crash
    For building owners and developers, a lack of growing companies combined with overbuilding and high debt levels make a toxic brew.