New Uses For Old Railroads

Imagining new uses for outdated railroads is creating exciting new opportunities for central cities.

1 minute read

July 10, 2005, 11:00 AM PDT

In New York, an elevated railway -- now abandoned -- cuts through 22-blocks of Chelsea in Lower Manhattan. A group called Friends of the High Line and Mayor Bloomberg are behind the move to convert the railway into a wild natural linear landscape for New Yorkers.

In Atlanta there is a similar effort underway called the Belt Line. But instead of 22 blocks, the Belt Line embraces 22 miles of track circling the central city. Friends of the Belt Line have proposed an ambitious plan for its conversion to parks, transit, greenways and new mixed use development. First proposed by Ryan Gravel when he was still a student at Georgia Tech and championed by then-Atlanta City Councilwoman Cathy Woolard, the Belt Line has won the support of Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and continues to gain momentum.

Host Carol Coletta interviews Friends of the High Line co-founder Joshua David, Ryan Gravel and Cathy Woolard in this week's Smart City radio show.

Thanks to Chris Steins

FULL STORY: New Uses for Old Railroads

Saturday, July 9, 2005 in Smart City

Community / Economic Development United States

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