Atlanta’s Circle of Opportunity By Beth Haynes The BeltLine, possibly the most talked about project since the Atlanta Olympics is a proposed 22-mile loop of transit, redevelopment and green space creation following historic railroad tracks encircling the city’s downtown and midtown areas.	This concept of the Howell Mill transportation and pedestrian mobility area illustrates a vibrant regenesis of the rail easement.

This unique project represents an opportunity to increase Atlanta’s parks and green space, add transit connectivity and foster livable communities for generations to come. The plan for the BeltLine calls for it to connect 45 in-town neighborhoods with parks, transit and trails for commuters, bicyclists and pedestrians, spurring economic development and enhanced mobility along the way. The Atlanta Development Authority (ADA) predicts that an estimated 150,000 new residents will move to Atlanta in the next 25 years, so the time to prepare for that growth is now.

Planning and development for the BeltLine is being conducted by two organizations, Atlanta BeltLine Inc., and the BeltLine Partnership with a large number of private developers, landowners and nonprofit organizations. Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. is charged with coordinating and implementing the city’s 25-year vision for the BeltLine project. Terri Y. Montague, President and CEO of Atlanta BeltLine, Inc., will be the keynote speaker at Greenprints 2007 to be held at the Westin Peachtree Plaza on March 22 and 23. (For more information about Ms Montague, see the Greenprints program book in this issue and www.beltline.org.)

As the BeltLine and its related building projects begin to come to fruition, there are four areas of Atlanta’s physical and civic landscape that will see dramatic growth and improvement: transportation, green space, economic development (including land use) and housing.

Light rail is one of the hallmarks of the BeltLine transportation options

Transportation Few residents or visitors experiencing Atlanta can doubt that the city must expand its transportation options to alleviate crowded roads. Since the major feature of the BeltLine will be the revitalization of existing rail lines through the majority of the proposed loop, Atlanta is being given an opportunity to greatly enhance its transportation system and to coordinate the expansion with existing transit and roadways. By creating transit, along mostly existing rail right-of-ways, along with multi-use trails for pedestrians and bikes, the BeltLine can connect neighborhoods, employment centers, educational institutions, cultural venues and social centers.

The plan for the BeltLine includes more than 33 miles of multi-use trails in a linear park, which includes a 22-mile core loop with extensions to connect to parks and trails surrounding the BeltLine.

The BeltLine’s 22-mile loop of railroad right-of-way is being planned to connect to existing and proposed transit networks, linking patrons to major activity centers and attractions. Other transportation infrastructure investments could include improve-ments to intersections, street signals, bridges and sidewalks to ensure smooth traffic flow around the BeltLine area.

Green space

Despite having been called a “city of trees” and “city in a forest,” when it comes to parks and green space, Atlanta ranks near the bottom of major U.S. cities. The BeltLine plan vastly increases the city’s green space, which would be linked throughout the system, connecting 40 of Atlanta’s parks, adding over 1,200 acres of new green space and improving approximately 700 acres of existing green space. One of the new parks that will emerge along the BeltLine will be a 400-acre site built at the Bellwood Quarry in northwest Atlanta.

Pedestrian pathways will highlight beltline development	Concept rendering of the Bellwood Quarry

Economic Development

Because a significant percentage of the rail line in the BeltLine borders currently underutilized property, planners are projecting significant redevelopment in the project area. There is an estimated 3000 acres of underused, blighted or abandoned land along the BeltLine, presenting a tremendous opportunity for redevelopment.

credit: www.beltline.org

Based on the ADA’s Redevelopment Plan, opportunities exist along all quadrants of the loop. This includes opportunities in historically underdeveloped areas as well as brownfields throughout the city. The BeltLine Partnership projects that 30,000 permanent new jobs are expected to be created in the BeltLine area in the next 20-25 years, a 50 percent greater increase than without the project. This figure is above and beyond the thousands of construction jobs that will be created for the building-out process. Developments along the BeltLine will ensure that growth and new job opportunities are distributed in a balanced way across the city, with significant growth in the Northwest, Southwest and Southeast quadrants.

Land Use As more and more metro area residents return to the city and new arrivals add to the growth of the region, Atlanta has the opportunity to redefine the city in ways that were unimaginable just a decade ago. The BeltLine Plan includes recommendations for land use that incorporate the goals of the city’s redevelopment vision which have been based on hours of public input and the expertise of experts on planned growth.

Metropolitan Parkway conceptual rendering.

At this point, the guidelines are only recommendations, but it is reasonable to hope that many of the land use proposals currently on the table will become practice.

[ download pdf map ] Key attributes of the BeltLine • Nearly 1,300 acres of new greenspace • 33 miles of trails • A 22-mile loop of transit • ~30,000 new jobs in 20 economic development areas • 5,600+ affordable workforce housing units • Touches and connects 45 neighborhoods • Investments in transportation / pedestrian mobility and streetscapes, public art, historic preservation and environmental clean-up From: ATLANTA BELTLINE PROJECT, Plan of Work for 2006-2010 Budget, Draft for Public Review, May 31, 2006

Workforce Housing

As the city grows and its intown communities prosper, it is vital that we find ways to create a wide range of prices within the housing stock. The available land along the BeltLine will ensure that growth is balanced throughout the city. The BeltLine Partnership states that “as part of a broader citywide effort, approximately $240 million of TAD funds will be set aside for the purpose of building workforce housing units. This commitment is estimated to create as many as 5,600 new workforce housing units inside the BeltLine area, the most significant investment in affordable workforce housing in Atlanta’s history.”

Additional Benefits

Though an increase in park and green spaces, expansions of transportation and economic developments provide the core benefits of the BeltLine, the project offers additional benefits as well. Other benefits, as detailed on the BeltLine Partnership website, include:

• Historical preservation of homes and neighborhoods around the BeltLine
• Environmental remediation of brownfields in the BeltLine area
• Connection of neighborhoods previously separated by rail and other obstacles
• Raised awareness of park maintenance through BeltLine green space investments that will encourage Atlanta to take better care of its parks
• Enhancement of MARTA through the BeltLine connection
• Development incentives in slower growing parts of the city
• Health benefits for Atlantans through increased opportunities for exercise and recreational activity, fewer traffic-related injuries, and cleaner air

Southface is excited about the benefits that the BeltLine will bring to the City of Atlanta and looks forward to playing a role in the development of this important element of Atlanta’s sustainable future.