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There is now a CONTENT FREEZE for Mercury while we switch to a new platform. It began on Friday, March 10 at 6pm and will end on Wednesday, March 15 at noon. No new content can be created during this time, but all material in the system as of the beginning of the freeze will be migrated to the new platform, including users and groups. Functionally the new site is identical to the old one. webteam@gatech.edu
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SCaRP alumnus Ryan Gravel’s senior thesis served as the base for one of the biggest urban renewal projects in the country. The Atlanta Beltline, which is scheduled to be completed in 2030, will consist of 22 miles of transit; 33 miles of multi-use trails; 1,300 acres of parks; and 5,600 units of affordable housing out of an anticipated 30,00 to 40,000 new units. There are brownfield remediation, historic preservation, and public art components. The project will create 30,000 permanent jobs and 48,000 temporary construction jobs. Gravel’s original thesis proposed a beltline primarily as a transportation project with some trails to link Atlanta neighborhoods. The project’s reality has developed into a much bigger scale as it garnered political, financial, and public support. Gravel now serves as a member on the Atlanta Beltline Partnership board. Atlanta Beltline Partnership Inc. Interim Executive Director and Program Developer Rob Brawer sees the Beltline as a force for positive change in quality of life. “It is beloved by the community,” he says, “and recognized as the top environmental reclamation project in the world.”
