How This $4.8 Billion Walkway Is Redefining Atlanta

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The metro Atlanta region emerged as a national economic bright spot in recent decades. Population growth has boomed in Atlanta's sprawling suburbs, fueling concerns over equity. The current vanguard of groups in the city are attempting to build with density while preserving affordable housing. Local planners believe that the BeltLine, a 22-mile-long pedestrian path, will reconnect communities and provide a bridge to the city's future.

Financial and tech firms continue to flock toward metro Atlanta. This builds on the city’s strong logistics, entertainment and film, and health services industries.

Demand for quality housing in the region has become fierce, particularly in the city center.

“Atlanta is becoming a wider city,” said Nathaniel Smith, founder and chief equity officer at the Partnership for Southern Equity. “Now, whether we’ll be able to kind of balance that out and ensure that, you know, black folks don’t get pushed out ... I’m not sure.”

In September 2022, the median home in the city of Atlanta was valued at about $400,000, according to Zillow’s Home Values Index. That price would be out of reach for the typical household in the city of Atlanta, which made about $64,179 annually in recent years. Rents also have ticked above the national median.

Some Atlanta locals believe ambitious urban redevelopment projects, such as the BeltLine, have contributed to fast-rising prices in the area.

The BeltLine is a 22-mile loop of walking and cycling trails built largely on abandoned rail lines and developed as a public-private partnership.

It was intended to connect different neighborhoods in the city with each other and to create, along the path, walkable communities where residents could access a variety of services without needing a car.

“We’ve put about $700 million into the BeltLine to date,” said Atlanta BeltLine Inc. CEO Clyde Higgs. “What we’ve seen is roughly an $8 billion private investment that has followed the BeltLine. That has caused a number of good things and also a number of pressures within the city of Atlanta.”

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cool idea, but they need to figure out a way to make it 26.2 miles long.

Are there any solid stats of how many armed robberies take place on the beltline around Ponce?

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Something that New orleans could never ever have in their stupid shitty city

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It's true. Just look at the Lafitte Greenway. People get bushwhacked on that thing all the time

Crime is actually non existant. They patrol it pretty well

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Had a place on the beltline for a few years .... gets crazy busy on weekends with the scooters, bikes whizzing past dangerously. But overall, a remarkable plan and urban development that once connected will be a unique footprint on a major city.

And the talent levels are top notch.
People who shite on Atlanta probably haven't spent much time there. Especially the NOLAier than thou crowd. I've lived in both cities and ATL offers much, much more and frankly - cleaner and better living.

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Something that New orleans could never ever have in their stupid shitty city

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New Orleans living rent free You are right, but still

Even if NOLA wanted to do something like this, they would need too many path trails through the middle of the "loop" to justify it.

Curious question: Any idea how far the path ways are if you wanted to cross through the middle; for example, from Carter Center to Washington Park

Just looking at the Founders, CEO's, and Chief Equity Officers of the "private" organizations involved with this, I can see tons of fraud and pockets getting padded.

It's not the city's fault that black people don't exercise on the beltway. That's like complaining that a city basketball court has too many blacks and not enough white people playing on the basketball court.

Annnnnd once again, another stupid comment about racism which has zero to do with the beltway. Good try though

People need to understand politics. The only reason Atlanta is Atlanta and Houston is Houston, etc… is because they all have had Presidents in the White House. If anyone from Louisiana ever made it to the White House then New Orleans would have a boom for 30 years plus. That’s how it works. Long term funding and business is set up by the powers at be. Before LBJ and Bush and Carter those cities were lesser than New Orleans. This is fact.