The Beltline through the eyes of students
November 28, 2007 at 10:56 am by Thomas Wheatley in NewsOne of the most difficult things to grasp when talking about the Beltline is its vastness. It’s envisioned as a 22-mile green ring circling the city core, and — if everything goes according to plan — will be served by pulsing transit, kick-start smart development in beleaguered or staid areas, and delight trail-goers and cyclists. There are some areas that are familiar to everyone — such as the north- and southeastern quadrants that skirt Piedmont Park and Grant Park, respectively — but other parts are vague, primarily because they’re largely industrial properties or otherwise inaccessible.
An interesting ongoing visual history of the Beltline officially launches Dec. 1 but is up and running and worth checking out. Maintained by Ruth Dusseault, Georgia Tech’s artist in residence, PhotosOfTheBeltline uses a Google map of the project and allows you to select different sections. Click on one and it’ll give you a brief rundown of the area and the option to view photos submitted by Tech students studying the project.
It’s a community-friendly site for a project envisioned as being just the same. It’s still in the early stages — shaded sections on the map denote ones that have photos — but check out the shots of the quarry in the northwest quadrant that is slated to become a reservoir. Next semester it’ll be open to all college-level photography students and their instructors; teachers can reserve a section of the Beltline and students can document that area as a class.
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