Final Thoughts Concerning the Atlanta Beltline Project

            As the semester comes to an end, I am able to reflect on all that I have learned about the Atlanta Beltline project over the last few months.  I sought to understand what role public health had in the design and development of the Eastside trail of the Atlanta Beltline.  My primary focus within the public health features of the Atlanta Beltline has been on the specific methods of increasing overall health and wellness of area residents by focusing on fitness and nutrition.  I look specifically at features of the built environment which aid in improved fitness and nutrition habits of local Old Fourth Ward and Inman Park Residents, such as art and architecture, social cohesion, parks and green space, food access and sports and other outdoor activities. It was exciting to learn that public health initiatives were included in all development and planning phases of Atlanta Beltline project. From the initial planning phases, environmental assessments were conducted to ensure the project remained conscience of its ecological footprint.  Even landscape design was taken into account in order to maximize impact on improving mental health function.    I discovered that in many ways, projects like the Atlanta Beltline and New York City’s Skyline are significantly public health focused.  On the surface, projects such as these may appear to be purely a city beautification endeavor.  However, when examined more closely, beautification efforts improve the quality of life of area residents which in turn improves mental as well as physical health. This is the ultimate purpose of the Atlanta Beltline project.

            As part of the overall project, I was fortunate to be able to attend my first community engagement meeting which detailed updates to the Westside Trail of the Atlanta Beltline, set to open in July 2017. This meeting brought forth several of the questions that I pondered throughout the semester.  While I think that the Beltline project is a wonderful idea to encourage active living, some of the unintended consequences have left the most vulnerable populations of our city out of the conversations and decision making processes. Housing justice, as a result, is a growing concern for area residents as many are slowly being forced from their homes due to rising costs.  In my opinion, Atlanta Beltline, Inc has a responsibility to take a more active role in preserving the integrity of area neighborhoods and communities especially in cases of vulnerable populations. Despite the draw, however, the Atlanta Beltline is a great asset to the City of Atlanta and can be an effective tool to appeal to those industries, businesses or individuals desiring to relocate to the city.  

Architecture Along the Beltline

Interesting architecture as a facet of the built environment promotes healthful or active living by encouraging area residents to utilize the area trails. This is accomplished through three main avenues: Aesthetics, Residential Density, and Community Engagement. The aesthetics of the architecture is not only a combination of the design and location of the building, but also its history. The buildings along the beltline are unique as well as full of character and history. For instance, Ponce City Market was reconstructed in an old Sears, Roebuck and Co. building. The first picture is of Ponce City Market, it was taken in April. It displays the aesthetics and re-imagining of the old buildings into something new.  The beltline has continued to breathe new life and purpose into these old buildings. Apartments, Condos, and Single-Family Homes line the area around the beltline creating a residential density within both old and newly constructed buildings. The other pictures were also taken in April and shows a row of town-homes which line the beltline. 

Outdoor Activity Along the Beltline

Outdoor activities promote active living by encouraging area residents to utilize the trail . This includes anything from various team sports leagues to weekly exercise classes, or biking to skateboarding. One of the weekly exercises classes available is yoga classes. Yoga promotes both physical and mental health through the combination of physical stretches and meditation. It helps to reduce both mental and physical stress.  The first picture was taken on April 22, 2017 and shows one of the flag football sessions. This helps with  improve mental health in many ways with one being by promoting social cohesion and fewer feelings of social isolation by engaging with teammates, but also physical health through physical exertion playing the sport. Recent editions along the Eastside trail include a bike share program which has bee strategically placed along the beltline to encourage biking within the area. This assists in physical health improvements via the increase of active transportation, but it also assists with environmental health promotion by reducing the carbon footprint propagated by emulsions from motor vehicles .  The beltline also has a skate park available with various ramps and rails for the skateboarders and more adventurous bikers and roller skaters. 

Food Access along the Beltline

Many residents of the Old Fourth Ward currently reside in what is known as Food Deserts.  Food deserts are in food insecure areas which do not provide residents access to fresh fruits and veggies within a one mile radius of their homes.  There are two supermarket grocery stores within the Old Fourth Ward, Publix and Whole foods.  However, the Eastside Trail of the Beltline connects several others within walking distance of those along the Beltline trail.  Beltline Kroger, now closed and under construction, as well as Trader Joe's are both accessible by the Beltline on foot or bicycle.  Often, residents can be seen walking or biking to/from Trader Joe's, as it is currently the only open grocery store with access from the Beltline.   The Beltline provides access to grocery stores for these communities through active transportation. This is a feature of the built environment as it relates to public health and nutrition. In addition to these two grocery stores, there are various restaurants and shops along the trail and walking distance from the trail that provide healthful food and beverage items for local residents.  Krog Street Market has several healthful restaurant, as does Inman Park Village.  Inside of Ponce City Market, there are also various healthy restaurants, although it does have its share of trendy, comfort food too. This photo is of the sign and location of where Kroger will be rebuilt in the near future. It was taken in March of 2017. Access to fresh fruit and veggies sources are critically important to the overall health and well-being of communities and the people that live in these communities.  Without access to these food sources, adverse health outcomes would increase dramatically and those living in areas without access to fresh fruits and veggies suffer disproportionate rates of lifestyle related illnesses such as diabetes, child and adult overweight, and obesity leading to cardiovascular disease as well as hypertension and high cholesterol among other adverse health outcomes.

Promoting Social Cohesion Along the Beltline

This photo exhibits LadyBird Grove and Mess Hall, a restaurant establishment along the Eastside Trail of the Atlanta Beltline.  As a token of its success, this wildly successful business has expanded its perimeter to the tree line separating the business from the beltline itself in order to accommodate the often very large crowds.  The featured photo was taken on Friday, April 14^th around 9:00pm and depicts how the Eastside trail of the Atlanta Beltline actively promotes social and community interconnection by encouraging area residents to utilize the trail in order to engage with neighbors.  Increased social cohesion benefits public health by reducing feelings of loneliness, isolation and depression, especially among urban residents.  Social cohesion also encourages healthful habits by encouraging neighbors to become more active in order to engage with neighbors.  People may walk together to nearby bars or restaurants after work for dinner or drinks.  Neighbors are more likely to frequent area establishments and build relationships with owners, bartenders, and wait staff alike.  These behaviors help build community as many residents of cities may be disconnected from close family and friends since it is common for people to relocate for work related purposes more often in today’s society.   Neighborhood associations along the beltline regularly sponsor neighborhood events where many people come together to socially connect with one another. Several of these events include the Lantern Parade as well as Spring, Summer and Fall Festivals.  The Old Fourth Ward and Inman Park neighborhood associations also promote area walks/runs sponsored by various local charities and organizations.   The Atlanta Beltline promotes social cohesion as an aspect of the built environment by allowing area residents the space to engage with one another in meaningful, social interactions.  This leads to increased sense of community as well as fewer feelings of social isolation and ultimately depression as a result. 

Art Along the Betline

Art as a feature of the Atlanta Beltline and the built environment encourages increased physical activity and improved fitness. These photos were taken along the Eastside Trail of the Beltline near the Inman Park neighborhood.  With a health and wellness focus, the Atlanta Beltline installs artwork scattered along the trail which changes every fall.  Each new season is kicked off by lantern making workshops followed by a parade in mid to late October.  Community involvement and participation in events such as the Lantern Parade encourage community unity and pride which in turn encourages residents to promote the use of the beltline to residents and others around the city.  The art along the Eastside trail is scattered strategically to ensure the trail is aesthetically pleasing in hopes that people are more likely to use the path for exercise.  The Eastside trail could be described as an urban art gallery with pieces changing periodically and a full overhaul every fall.  The art strategically installed along the beltline relates to the built environment in the fact that it improves the aesthetics of the trail.  While people may be less interested in ensuring the recommended amounts of daily exercise, if a trail is nearby and visually appealing, it may encourage more people to get at least 30 minutes of walking/running exercise per day, if for no other reason that to see what is new along the trail. The art is strategically placed so that it takes several trips along the length of the east side trail to absorb everything including art, landscape design and architecture.

Active Transportation Along the Beltline

An urban walking/biking trail is a great way to promote health and wellness of area residents and promote active living.  The Atlanta Beltline promotes active transportation by designing pathways that are only accessible by foot or other non motorized means of travel.  As such, bicycles, roller skates/blades, skateboards....are readily seen when walking or running the trail.  The use of these methods promote active transportation to and from parks and green space areas along the trail or restaurants or even grocery stores.   Active transportation also assists in not only improving our physical health by encouraging exercise in a fun, engaging matter but also promotes environmental health as well.  The less dependent residents are on cars, buses and trains the more ecological improvement can be made to our physical environment.  Fewer motorized vehicles being used for routine activities, such as errands to the store or dinner plans, reduces the carbon footprint making residents better stewards over the earth and its natural resources.   A positive, although possibly unintended, side effect of this design to encourage active transportation is it works to mitigate safety and security risks to a certain extent as well. This staircase, in the above photo, from Highland Avenue is an example of the engineering promoting active transportation while reducing access to the trail. The Eastside trail is not accessible by motorized vehicles, but area residents can park nearby and take footpaths to access the trail. Interestingly, the Atlanta police department has a police presence as occasionally police smart/electric cars can be seen parked in the area and sometimes on the beltline itself. But, they also are likely to have police officers on bikes patrolling the area too. The photo below is of a smart car used to patrol the Beltline by Atlanta police officers.