Spotlight: The Atlanta BeltLine

What happens when you combine urban design with green space, public art, environmental clean-up and economic development? The Atlanta Beltline is redefining outdoor space and connecting people throughout a dense city area.

As one of the largest urban redevelopment programs in the country, the Atlanta Beltline is an enormous feat. As with most great ideas, it started out as a vision. The idea to turn the Atlanta & West Point Railroad corridors into a series of parks and trails belonged to Georgia Tech student Ryan Gravel as part of his 1999 master’s thesis. Gravel and his fellow students mailed the proposal to influential Atlantans, eventually gaining enough support to form the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership in 2005.

Over the years as momentum increased, stewards of the BeltLine secured a master plan, funding, land and a vision for housing, trails, public art, parks and green space. The project goals include 45 miles of improved streetscapes, 22 miles of pedestrian-friendly rail transit, 1,300 acres of new green space and more. Once completed, the total combined trail distance will be the longest paved trail in the country, totaling approximately 300 miles. With walking and biking tours, community events, fitness classes, an urban farm and public art exhibitions, the BeltLine brings mental and physical wellness resources to the surrounding community.

A project grown by collective community efforts, the Atlanta Beltline is an extraordinary catalyst for Atlanta’s efforts towards a more equitable, inclusive and sustainable city.