James Corner Field Operations to design the Beltline
Photo of the existing Beltline by Our Green Atlanta, via flickr.
James Corner Field Operations (FO) and Perkins+Will have been selected as the lead designers of the Atlanta Beltline, a 22-mile loop of parkland, trails and light rail to encircle the core of the city and revitalize derelict rail easements. The $2.8 billion Beltline project purports to create and connect to over 1200 acres of parkland, underwrite the remediation of several brownfields, construct 5,600 affordable housing units and create 30,000 new full-time jobs over its 25-year course of development. This is a huge project knitting together open spaces, transit, bridges, tunnels and historic preservation sites; the two firms will manage 19 others in the development of a comprehensive master plan. FO, of course, has experience mapping out ecological rescue missions for undervalued urban spaces, the High Line and Freshkills Park both featuring prominently in their portfolio.
This is also not the only southeastern megaproject being designed by FO; it is also currently at work on a master plan for a comprehensive upgrade of Shelby Farms Park in Memphis. At 4,500 acres of wetlands, fields and forests, Shelby Farms is one of the country’s largest urban parks. Not unlike Freshkills Park, the proposed plan will incorporate new entrances, pathways and facilities, including renewable energy and plant nurseries, to amplify existing trails and infrastructure.
(via Creative Loafing)
