The BeltLine has the extraordinary potential to positively transform the City of Atlanta.
One of the most comprehensive economic development efforts ever undertaken in the City of Atlanta and the largest, most wide-ranging urban redevelopment currently underway in the U.S., the BeltLine will combine greenspace, trails, transit, and new development along 22 miles of historic rail segments that encircle the urban core.
Over the past 20 years, metro Atlanta’s growth has occurred in widely spread and disconnected pockets of development which have strained the region’s quality of life and economic growth. By attracting and organizing some of the region’s future growth around parks, transit, and trails, the BeltLine will help change the pattern of regional sprawl in the coming decades and lead to a vibrant and livable Atlanta with an enhanced quality of life.
There are multiple components to the BeltLine project. Click on each of the individual components below to learn more:
Transit, Trails, and Transportation: The BeltLine will add 22-miles of light rail transit that will connect with the existing MARTA system and the proposed Peachtree Streetcar. New multi-use trails will follow the 22-mile transit loop, and 11 miles of additional trails will extend into surrounding neighborhoods to increase access to the BeltLine. The BeltLine will also improve the City’s transportation infrastructure by connecting neighborhoods via sidewalks, streetscapes, and road/intersection improvements leading to a more cohesive urban street grid.
Parks and Greenspace: The BeltLine will add over 1,200 acres of new greenspace through a linear park alongside trails, including the creation of new parks and the expansion of existing parks.
Affordable Workforce Housing: The BeltLine includes Atlanta’s largest investment ever in affordable workforce housing. The total investment is projected to be at least $240 million (15% of each TAD bond issuance), generating an estimated 5,600 affordable units over the course of the project.
Brownfield Remediation: The BeltLine project allocates funding to support the clean up of contaminated properties resulting from the historic presence of active rail and industry.
Economic Development: Over its 25-year project span, the BeltLine is expected to generate more than $20 billion of new economic development and create approximately 30,000 new full-time jobs and 48,000 year-long construction jobs.
Historic Preservation: Homes, neighborhoods, and historic structures around the BeltLine that tell the story of Atlanta’s past will be preserved as part of the project.
Land Use: The BeltLine will create a comprehensive framework for land use change to ensure new development is transit supportive and enhances livability and quality of life.
Public Art: The BeltLine will incorporate public art displays as well as opportunities to transform features like benches and bike racks into art with which people can interact.
Atlanta BeltLine Arboretum: Trees Atlanta has developed a vision for one of the most accessible and connected urban arboretum corridors in the nation along the 22 mile BeltLine loop. The collection of trees will enhance the BeltLine green space and provide educational opportunities.
Community Engagement: The BeltLine is being built with an unprecedented level of community input. An important component of BeltLine implementation since its early planning, the Citizen Participation Framework approved by Atlanta City Council in July 2006 has institutionalized avenues for the community to participate in the planning and development of the BeltLine.
Funding: The Beltline project is anticipated to cost $2.8 billion over 25 years. It will be funded through local, state, and federal public funds as well as private philanthropic contributions.
Official BeltLine Entities: Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. is the quasi-governmental organization responsible for planning, implementing, and building the BeltLine. The BeltLine Partnership is a private, non-profit organization that raises private funds and increases awareness and support for the BeltLine.
Partners: In addition to Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. and the BeltLine Partnership, a number of departments within the City of Atlanta, the PATH Foundation, The Trust for Public Land, and many private, public and non-profit organizations are playing key roles in making the BeltLine happen.