BeltLine Success a Symbol of a Changing Atlanta

With just two miles of an eventual 22 transformed from old rail tracks to trails, Atlantans are enjoying a taste of the planned $2.8 billion BeltLine. Despite its early success, the future of the ambitious project is far from settled.

2 minute read

February 16, 2013, 5:00 AM PST

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


Plans for the Atlanta BeltLine are certainly bold: the 22 miles of old railroad tracks planned for conversion into parks, housing, and public transit would be the most expensive rails-to-trails project ever completed. "It would add 40 percent more parks to Atlanta. Only 4.6 percent of Atlanta is parkland, compared with 25 percent in New Orleans and 19 percent in New York."

The first phase of the project, the two-mile Eastside Trail, has been popular with joggers, bikers, and commuters - a good sign in this notoriously car-dependent city. And the project has some influential backers, including Mayor Kasim Reed who's proud of the significance of the effort. “We are changing Atlanta into a city that you can enjoy by walking and riding a bike,” said the Mayor. “We have been so car-centric that you didn’t experience the city in an intimate way.”

However, as Robbie Brown reports, "[c]ountless obstacles remain — from purchasing land, digging up decades-old tracks and routing the trail around operating trains and freight yards. But the greatest challenge is financing. The city and a host of nonprofits have raised $350 million through private donations and property taxes on the $2.8 billion project."

"Critics have urged that the project be scaled back. The city’s biggest transit challenge, they argue, is not beautifying in-town neighborhoods but reducing gridlock from the suburbs."

If the boom in construction along the Eastside Trail is any indication, the project's momentum may be enough to drive it forward, despite the critics.

“People want to live in a city where the design makes sense,” said Ryan Gravel, whose graduate thesis sparked the project. “It’s not only changing the physical form of the city. It’s changing the way we think about the city.”

Thursday, February 14, 2013 in The New York Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Street with parking protected bike lane and parked cars in downtown Portland, Oregon.

Portland Raises Parking Fees to Pay for Street Maintenance

The city is struggling to bridge a massive budget gap at the Bureau of Transportation, which largely depleted its reserves during the Civd-19 pandemic.

July 8 - Willamette Week

Aerial view of Spokane, Washington with river in foreground.

Spokane Mayor Introduces Housing Reforms Package

Mayor Lisa Brown’s proposals include deferring or waiving some development fees to encourage more affordable housing development.

July 8 - The Spokesman-Review

Close-up on black and white "Bike Lane Ends" sign with bike logo.

Houston Mayor Kills Another Bike Lane

The mayor rejected a proposed bike lane in the Montrose district in keeping with his pledge to maintain car lanes.

July 8 - Houston Public Media

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA