The Atlanta Beltline Paves a Path Toward a Healthier, More Connected City

Early on a weekday morning in Atlanta, a familiar choreography unfolds along a landscaped path: High school students stream north to class; middle schoolers head south, backpacks bouncing as they bike; electric scooters zip past joggers and dog walkers, while parents stroll with coffee in hand. Just a generation ago, these scenes didn’t exist.

Once an abandoned freight rail, the Atlanta Beltline — which opened its first section in 2012 — is now a 22-mile loop that’s become a vibrant network of trails, parks, affordable housing and local businesses.

"Before the Beltline, Atlanta was not the kind of place you wanted to be on a bicycle," said Ryan Gravel, an urban planner whose graduate thesis sparked the Beltline’s creation. Now, things are different. "If it were earlier in the morning, we'd see my son riding his bike to school. It's crazy that you can do that," he said.

For a fast-growing city long defined by traffic and sprawl, the question of how Atlanta develops has outsized stakes. But the Beltline is showing how rapid urban growth can be healthy, climate-friendly and joyful.