Seamless & Endearing
(research.) Singapore is an island, a city, and a nation all in one. It’s at the southern end of the Malaysian peninsula, and there’s a railroad that crosses a bridge […]
Author Archives
ryangravel
Coca Cola Journey > “messing with people’s expectations.”
(press.) Our story is recounted for Coca-Cola’s internal media, “Inside the Beltline: How a Grad School Thesis Became an Engine for Urban Revitalization and Economic Growth in Atlanta,” by Jay Croft. Excerpt: “Atlanta prides itself on being known as the home of Martin Luther King, Jr., the 1996 Olympic Games […]
USA Today > “on the verge of a renaissance.”
(press.) Nice article by OZY writer Sanjena Sathian – USA Today picked up her story, “The transit makeover of Atlanta” at the close of 2014. Excerpt: “Everyone, from my mother to the mayor to environmentalists to the White House, proclaims that this unlikely city, with its long history of segregation […]
Georgia Trend Magazine > “the small sights stick in your mind.”
(press.) In its December 2014 cover story, “Unbroken Circle” by Susan Percy, the case is made for the Atlanta Beltline as “a unifying force, built on the very railroads that […]
Gravel > Learning From Sprawl
(idea.videos.) Here’s a short video (00:03:04) that my colleagues and I put together called “Learning From Sprawl.” It explores the cultural motivations for today’s sprawl, then connects the dots to […]
Gravel > “Our 22-Mile Thanksgiving Table.”
(ideas.) With the undeniable success of the Atlanta Beltline’s Eastside Trail and this November’s groundbreaking of the long-anticipated Westside Trail, we have much to be thankful for. Of course behind […]
Gravel > “if we learn to see equity as our goal…”
(ideas.) This text first appeared in ideas+buildings. “Equity Through Sports + Art: A Design Dialogue in Atlanta.” Read the whole thing here and watch short video of excerpts from the event. Excerpt: “I think this kind of thoughtful and inclusive transition toward a better decision-making process – beyond just sports […]
We’ll Just Run it Over Here.
(research.) I’ve been to Austin a few times in the last year or so, and I love exploring the trails around Lady Bird Lake. The coolest part of the 10-mile […]
FAQ > “why is everybody going in circles?”
Q: Where is everybody going? Where’s the there there? (faq.) A: Some people seem to always be missing the point with the Atlanta Beltline. That’s fine, I guess. It […]
Bridging More Than a River.
(research.) I was in Washington DC to speak at the Eco-Districts Summit and took some time to ride down to the Washington Navy Yard along the Anacostia River. I wanted […]
AJC Atlanta Forward > “one of the boldest public health experiments.”
(press.) Nice perspective on the role of the Atlanta Beltline in rethinking the relationship between our health and the world around us. Author Michael Eriksen is the Dean of the School of Public Health at Georgia State University. He wrote this for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Atlanta Forward blog, “Project provides civic […]
Rails to Trails Magazine > “a project explicitly designed to connect us is about as transformative as it gets.”
(press.) This article for Rails to Trails Magazine was written by Rebecca Serna, executive director of the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition. It goes beyond the Atlanta Beltline to describe a culture that is “Transforming Atlanta.” Excerpt: “The BeltLine, as Woolard puts it, “is the one forum where it all comes together: […]
FAQ > “what about the westside?”
Q: What should we expect with the opening of the Westside Trail? How will its success compare to the eastside? (faq.) A: The communities on Atlanta’s eastside are benefitting directly […]
FAQ > “who benefits?”
Q: What about gentrification? What is being done to protect people from displacement? (faq.) A: In a growing economy like ours, things like roadside clean-ups, better schools, reduced crime, the […]
FAQ > “is transit so important?”
Q: Is transit really necessary? With so many people crowding the trail, why don’t we forget transit and just widen the trail? (faq.) A: This common question has at least […]
Loving Lafitte
(research.) Not only am I from Louisiana and therefore somehow obligated to check in on the Lafitte Greenway in New Orleans, but this project is getting built fast, so I […]
Indy’s Cultural Speedway
(research.) It was a big honor to be sponsored by MailChimp to go to Indianapolis and speak at the third and final We Are City Summit. Between breaks with local popsicles, gourmet fortune cookies, and craft beer, we learned about cool things going on in the world of cities and […]
Monocle > “take a barrier and turn it into a gathering place.”
(press.) Cool coverage by Jeff Chu in international design and business journal, Monocle titled, “On the Right Path.” Excerpt: “In 1999, Ryan Gravel – then an urban planning student at Georgia […]
Indianapolis Star > “a word that sums up the initiative nicely: Infra-Culture”
(press.) Awesome, unexpected first headline to include the working title for my book after speaking to this group in Indy. The Indianapolis Star reports, “We Are City seeks to build ‘Infra-Culture.’” […]
I Think We Should Talk > “in other words, it’s a game-changer.”
(press.) Nice long-form blog Q&A for I Think We Should Talk by Paul Sternberg: “Ryan Gravel.” Excerpt: “In other words, it’s a game-changer for a city like Atlanta. … Ryan and I talked recently about process, which goes well beyond having a radical idea. It’s about going places, seeing things, and meeting people. […]
Spacing > “what are Toronto’s most promising arteries for transformation?”
(press.) Here’s a follow-up Q&A to the first story – an interview with Claire Nelischer of the Centre for City Ecology and Anna Hill with Park People, “Infrastructure and our way of life: lessons from the Atlanta BeltLine.” Excerpt: “AH: From what you’ve seen and heard during your time in […]
Electromagnetic Fields
(research.) While visiting Toronto to speak at the 10th World Congress on Design & Health, I felt an electromagnetic pull toward a power transmission corridor outside the central city. Canadians […]
Spacing > “we should consider these projects from a city systems perspective.”
(press.) Insightful story by Claire Nelischer of the Centre for City Ecology in Spacing. Link: “The Atlanta BeltLine: Catalyst infrastructure and city systems.” Excerpt: “The positive impact of parks investments […]
Riding the Railpath
(research.) I joined the bikeshare in Toronto and made a beeline for the first phase of the West Toronto Railpath, a multi-use trail alongside active railroad tracks just west of the center city. It was cool to see commuter trains passing and then discover a new station under construction along […]
Sweet Sugar House
(research.videos.) I was in Salt Lake City to speak at the Public Interest Design Institute and took a couple of hours to check out a section of the old Denver […]
Atlantic Cities > “it was something they could fight for instead of against.”
(press.) Great update by Rebecca Burns in Atlantic Cities. Link: “Can Atlanta Go All In on the BeltLine?” Excerpt: “I was immediately taken by it; not because I am brilliant but because Ryan’s idea was brilliant,” recalls Woolard. At the time, constituents would call her “constantly” to complain about the […]
Gravel > “planning a more forward southland.”
(ideas.) Gravelblog original. “Planning a More Forward Southland.” Atlanta will open its arms this Saturday for a national gathering of over 5,000 city planners, elected officials, students, consultants, and various […]
Planning > “the project has changed Gravel’s life.”
(press.) Nice profile in Planning, the journal of the American Planning Association, which held its 2014 national conference in Atlanta in April 2014. Link: “At the beginning” by Ben Smith > article runs after the headline story, “Emerald Necklace, Southern Style” by Alexander Garvin. Excerpt: “Mass-mailing a graduate student thesis to […]
Random Rides
Here are video clips from various bike rides. “Spring Saturday Afternoon on the Atlanta Beltline.” (videos.) 2014/04. Video (0:9:19) of an average weekend afternoon on the Atlanta Beltline. It’s mobbed. Runs the full length […]
EPA > “you have also changed us.”
(videos.) I went up to Washington D.C. this past week to attend a ceremony at US EPA, which awarded the Atlanta Beltline its “Overall Excellence in Smart Growth Award” for 2013. I made this short video diary (7:30) to share the experience with you. Here’s the video that EPA […]
Gravel > “isn’t this exactly what we wanted?”
(ideas.) Gravelblog original. “The Vulnerability of Car-Dependency.” I spent some down-time during our snowy debacle thinking about how two inches of snow brought metropolitan Atlanta to its knees, leaving thousands […]
Gravel > “we need the Arts to drive the discussion.”
(ideas.) Gravelblog original. “Claiming Space for a World Class Cultural Infrastructure.” As I’m writing my book I am constantly reminded how the Atlanta Beltline came to life through a powerful […]
Go River! (the Los Angeles River is sublime).
(research.videos.) The Los Angeles River is spectacular. It’s sublime in the best sense of the word. I got to experience it first-hand for the first time back in the summer […]
Gravel > My favorite picture in 14 years working on this thing.
(ideas.) I took my kids out for a bike ride on a beautiful day last spring and the trail was mobbed. I was taking pictures with my phone, including this […]
Gravel > Gravelblog; Let’s see where this goes.
(ideas.) Launching today (quietly for beta testing). The future of cities will require a global dialog. This is my take on our story. Gravelblog. Pronounce it like “travelogue.” Let’s see where this goes. >> Ryan Gravel
Curbed > “the thesis was the easy part.”
(backstory.press.) Here’s a Q&A update for Curbed Atlanta in late 2013. Link: “A Chat With The Guy Whose Thesis Birthed the Beltline.” Excerpt: Curbed: “So how has your life changed since “the thesis” started to become a reality?” Gravel: “The thesis was the easy part. Since then, I’ve changed jobs several times […]
NationSwell > “the boarded-up, abandoned strip had been transformed.”
(press.) Nice post in NationSwell, a new media outlet that wants to introduce you to people renewing America. Link: “What’s ‘the Country’s Best Smart Growth Project’? You’ll Be Surprised.” Excerpt: “Years later, when he returned to Paris as a graduate student, he found that the boarded-up, abandoned strip had been transformed into […]
Nothing Short of Stunning.
(research.) I got to know Debra Edelson after she moved to Atlanta and was working on the Atlanta Beltline for the Trust for Public Land. In a previous life she worked for CSX as a partner in the effort to build the High Line in New York. In December 2013, […]
A High Line for Every Season.
(research.) One of the many brilliant things about the High Line in New York City is its plant collection. I’ve had the opportunity to experience it several times and I think […]
Bikeshare Shrinks Manhattan.
(research.) I was in New York in October 2013 and tested out CitiBike, the city’s new bikeshare system. It’s easy and convenient, but the most surprising thing was how much smaller it made the city feel. I used it to zip from my hotel to our office at Union Square, […]
Take it to the Embankment.
(research.) When I first heard about the Harsimus Stem Embankment in Jersey City, also known simply as “the Embankment,” it was caught in legal disputes about its ownership. I’m not […]
Ask a Crazy Question…
(research.) …get a crazy answer. Can you make some magic tubes that bring natural sunlight down into an abandoned subway terminal, sufficiently to permit photosynthesis in plants and transform the space […]
Greenway Loop in Tampa.
(research.) After welcoming the 2013 National Brownfields Conference to Atlanta and highlighting our city’s signature brownfields project, Lena Young introduced herself to me. She was excited by its similarity to an idea she has been working on in Tampa called the Green Artery, a 20-mile loop greenway that for over […]
Drone Attack!
(videos.) I was struck down by a drone while touring the Atlanta Beltline with Fitz of Photomotion (3:07). Minutes later, we met Danté from “Danté’s down the Hatch.” Amazing day. Thanks to Fitz, who got the tour through a silent auction for the Lifecycle Building Center. >> Ryan Gravel
Architect > “it’s like tactical urbanism on steroids.”
(press.) Architect Magazine wrote a story about the role of tactical urbanism in cities. Link: “Newest Urbanism.” Excerpt: “It’s like tactical urbanism on steroids,” Gravel says. “We built this amazing groundswell of support, even though, over the years, there have been challenges to the direction of the project—its vision, funding, ownership, […]
National Brownfields Conference > “welcome, y’all.”
(videos.) “As Many Gains As Losses.” My +/- 60 minute talk starts at about (17:00). It’s the welcoming plenary talk to the National Brownfields Conference on May 15th, 2013. Opening […]
GOOD > “until our politics catch up.”
(press.) From GOOD Magazine‘s “GOOD 100” in 2013. Link: “Meet Ryan Gravel, Building A Better Future.” Excerpt: “For a lot of reasons, this country is changing its cultural expectations for how we live—we’re modifying our American Dream,” Gravel says. “But until our politics catch up with the big policy changes required to […]
Bridging Public Space.
(research.) Terry Swartz, the director of the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative, invited me up for a talk about the Atlanta Beltline. While I was there she showed me some amazing […]
Gravel > Ever Walked in Sprawl?
(ideas.videos.) This road is somewhere. But it could be anywhere. It is designed for cars, not for people, and it creates something opposite of “place.” Upon investigation, however, at a […]
Gravel > “a situationist playground for the modern flâneur.”
(ideas.) This text first appeared in ideas+buildings. “A Case For the Modern Flaneur: Transforming Atlanta One Wanderer at a Time.” Even before Spring fever has set in completely, the Atlanta Beltline’s Eastside Trail […]
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