“The BeltLine Emerald Necklace of parks and trails is one of the major steps for Atlanta in building a world-class park system,” said George Dusenbury, Executive Director, Park Pride.

The BeltLine, a 22-mile loop of historic railroad that encircles downtown and midtown, is a unique opportunity to increase greenspace, improve transit, connect neighborhoods and foster livable communities. With an estimated 150,000 new residents coming to Atlanta in the next 25 years, the City is investing in its future.

“Atlanta residents may be surprised to learn the esteem with which this project is held not just nationally, but internationally,” said Dusenbury. “Park Pride is bringing in speakers from Denver, San Francisco and Canada. Each has either already toured the BeltLine or requested the opportunity to take a tour. The BeltLine is an opportunity that the vast majority of cities can only dream of.”

Park Pride is one of the members of the BeltLine Partnership and views the Beltline as a three-legged stool, based on parkland, transportation and development. The most recent development in the BeltLine is the exciting announcement that the City plans to acquire the active Bellwood Quarry and turn it into a park. Westside Park would be Atlanta’s newest and largest park, adding more than 300 acres of greenspace. Once completed, the BeltLine will offer something for everyone with more than 1000 acres of new parks and 33 miles of trails around the City of Atlanta. It connects over 45 of Atlanta’s neighborhoods and many of its activity centers, and it could provide a link to a number of MARTA stations. “The BeltLine parks have the potential to transform Atlanta by creating a defining public space in the urban core,” said George Dusenbury.