ABSTRACT
The Atlanta BeltLine, however, was not conceived primarily as a recreational facility or tourist destination. In December 2004, Trust for Public Land (TPL) published the firm's report: a 141-page proposal called The BeltLine Emerald Necklace: Atlanta's New Public Realm. Several of the proposed parks-in particular Boulevard Crossing, Murphy Crossing, and the parks in the Old Fourth Ward-would have green fingers that extend fairly far into surrounding neighborhoods, thereby tying the BeltLine into surrounding community life. Consequently, the new mixed use public realm that will emerge on the Atlanta BeltLine will be very different from New York City's High Line or any of the many other single-function trails that have replaced railroad rights-of-way. In the years ahead, as the BeltLine's implementation continues with new residences, stores and restaurants, community facilities, trails, parks, and transit, the project will have the potential to supplant the city's interstate highways as the focus of the daily life for hundreds of thousands of Atlantans.
