How an old loop of railroads is changing the face of a city | Ryan Gravel

[@TheBbqbanana]

I didn't think this talk was awesome but what he is talking about is beyond great. The beltline is a real destination that people go to. Living in Atlanta people really do get out and walk to places they never would before.

[@Lumpyrox1412]

I really like this project he came up with! It's a good use of old infrastructure, revitalising it to make it relevant and uniting normally opposing people in the process.

[@sonunigum4ever]

This is brilliant. I go to beltline all the time and We all love it. It's not just for traffic. It it's good to meet new people , do physical activity and save our environment. Love the market and community that's being build around it. Truly brilliant idea.

[@KnowArt]

wait what? In other countries it's weird to ride your bicycle to the supermarket? (I'm from the netherlands)

[@BL00DYR0S31]

Aldo yeah! Cause everything is too far away and it would take too much time to walk or bike to get from point A to point B

[@angusdoherty1491]

In Atlanta it'd be almost impossible to ride your bike to the supermarket since the only way to get to one would be down a busy highway. Here in Vermont, where its less populated, riding a bike to the supermarket is completely a possibility. I think he was just referring to crowded cities built for transportation by car.

[@designate_om]

people in the united states tend to prefer transportation that does the work for them

[@mhtinla]

One time I rode my bike to the supermarket. I shopped like usual but after checkout I realized I didn't have hands to ride my bike home.

[@TimothyFish]

It wasn't always normal in the Netherlands either. There are also these things called hills in Atlanta that makes it a little more inaccessible for some people.

[@patrickoneill1993]

I appreciate the focus on people as the priority of urban development. I believe that sometimes our biases for our projects draw priority to our egos, and away from the broader purpose of our projects. I have been guilty of this. Seeing the Humility displayed in this talk is inspiring. Thank you.

[@CloudedMindDF93]

Having moved to Atlanta from Germany i was used to a certain standart of getting around just by walking, riding my bike or using my longboard to only realize that this is not the reality here. Then a friend told me about the Atlanta Beltline and it has changed my life and made me so happy. Everybody i see there is in a good mood. There are so many great things along side the Beltline. I'm truly thankful for what Ryan Gravel has done!

[@benshepard8838]

I actually live near Atlanta and have walked part of the perimeter

[@alexandrudinca3080]

kay

[@BenCrews]

So proud to see a fellow Yellow Jacket with such a successful project! I never got the chance to see parts of the Belt Line when I was in Atlanta. Now, I really wish I had, and maybe I will. I wish he would have discussed some of the solutions for funding such a massive project without excluding the poor, but it probably wouldn't fit in a 10 min video.

[@obedappiah]

This is a great movement. A radical change in the way people think about moving around.

[@austinskylines]

Omg this is amazing Atlanta!!

[@Bovenification]

Same thing in western Germany. A lot of old railway tracks are made bycicle lanes.

[@emsiewemsieful]

this is a brilliant concept. trying to get this sort of project to actually happen in the built environment will probably make your hair go grey, but still worth striving for.

[@TimothyFish]

There are many cities of all sizes that are working on projects like this. City leaders are motivated to support things like this because they've discovered that we can't build enough roads to fix our traffic problems and even if we could we couldn't afford to maintain the roads. Projects like this are much cheaper to build. The whole loop could be done for about the same price as one major bridge and if just a small percentage of the people who are currently driving cars start riding bicycles then it will make a significant reduction in traffic congestion. There are also benefits that include making the land near these trails more valuable and encouraging healthy habits of citizens.

[@kirbycvang]

That light rail would be awesome.

[@ohairachel]

Great work!

[@alyssabueno6128]

this is great.

[@davemarx7856]

That is occurring in Beaufort SC where I live. the old tracks are becoming a really nice bike trail that runs around the whole county. Some of the wealthier home owners weren't happy about it because those tracks had become known as the "Crack head super highway". they thought crime would increase. that was silly. now the paths are open. criminals can't try to hide behind and within the overgrowth that once existed there. I like it.

[@FunBotan]

Wow, americans have just discovered they can also use legs to move around

[@vlermler6823]

FunBotan lol

[@cadeq3045]

FunBotan We knew how to use our legs, how do you think we get from our couch to our cars? Lol

[@DivineFalcon]

In_A_Rush Mobility scooters?

[@cadeq3045]

Divine Falcon lol

[@rose8968]

Very insightful

[@LeonidasGGG]

Good talk.

[@joyjoyoo]

New York did good with theirs.

[@fyisic]

This guy should collaborate with the great architect Art Vandelay.

[@kajmobile]

When I pass people in a car, it is isolation. But when I pass people who are walking, it is community. Got it.

[@kinsmed]

Not sure ya do.

[@TimothyFish]

Exactly. I ride my bicycle through my neighborhood several times a week and I have gotten to the point where I know where many of them live and even if I don't know them by name I have had conversations with some of them. With cars, at best, I recognize the car but there is no opportunity to speak to anyone.

[@TimothyFish]

***** It's to be expected that you would have more conversation on the bus, since you are spending longer with people. People talking to you when you are walking tends to happen when you are friendly to people. There are people I don't bother speaking to. They don't make eye contact or they have their headphones on so I don't expect they would hear me if I did speak. Cars are like the ultimate tool for avoiding eye contact and covering up your ears to prevent hearing people.

[@schumanhuman]

It's certainly correct that the answer to the problems created by improving an area cannot be not to improve an area. The answer is actually very simple and very old. When an area improves it naturally raises rents and the value of land, this in turn attracts speculators who will buy up as many land titles as they can. Summed up nicely here. “Don’t wait to buy land, Buy land and wait. Find out where the people are going and buy the land before they get there.” -Will Rogers Zoning adds a new dimension to this speculation, when farmland is rezoned it can rise by upto 200 times in value at the stroke of a pen, that's a recipe for corruption. The answer is to use existing taxes, in the US the split rate property tax, just lower the rate on buildings and raise the tax on land. Ideally this can replace taxes on wages and consumption all together, then recycle the collected unearned rents as a dividend and we have gentrification for all with no sprawl or speculative boom bust cycles.

[@jemmans]

In the 1920's London had a similar thing happened while building the 'Underground'. The result was metroland. The idea was to have an improved quality on life outside the congested city while being able to commute. It lasted maybe 50 years until metroland became very similar to the city. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro-land This project is clever because it sees the mistakes that can be made in the long term and is not aiming for an expensive 'metroland', but a finely tuned use of land.

[@Zoza15]

Changing the world for the better?, dude here in the Netherlands we've been doing this for years!. And most countries couldn't keep up with our solution in infrastructure and renovations because of politics.

[@vylai7044]

i actually fall asleep because of his tone omg -.-

[@vlermler6823]

Vy Lai i have a professor who speaks exactly like him. if it is boring to hear him for a few minutes, imagine having to endure a professor like him for months?

[@namleejo4854]

Vy Lai I'm a god

[@sillygoosegoose]

wait, so... they turned a disused rail road into a cycle track? pretty sure that happens in most cases in the UK.

[@TimothyFish]

We have thousands of miles of railroad track turned to cycle track in the US, but I think the point is how it changed the city, not that a railroad was converted to a cycle track.

[@Orosh]

It's so sad he can't speak freely. So many smart people got important things to say but can't inspire the audience

[@ainamaree]

0 Zerrosh he's so akward...

[@kinsmed]

"Welll... since a grrl didn't say it, I guess I like it." (7-year-old boy troll)

[@crimsoncorsair9250]

chas ames meh they could be saying worse things. where did you get this from a lecture on infrastructure?

[@AngelOfPodreness]

Is it just me or this man has the same facial expression as Wentworth Miller?

[@TheFedora42]

AngelOfPodreness you mean features. Yeah both of their phenotypes do overlap.

[@tonyotag]

I understand Building communities are important, but trees are too. Trees and nature filter the air. Nevertheless a good community recovery story. I hope more parks and natural space is integrated with keeping pollution down for a healthy way to breathe.

[@whereeveritgoes]

Looks like Tim Ferriss.

[@debbaverstock6343]

The land area of the US is huge and the differences in climate throughout is varied. Some states have feet of snow every winter and other have little to none. So, in the US, it really depends on what region you live in - whether it is even feasible to ride a bicycle to the market regularly. Also, in rural areas you may not even have a local grocery store (or the items are priced so high, that most people travel to the nearest metro area just to save money). Most state or local governments in the US have not made alternative transport a priority, in terms of support or infrastructure; the ones that have are in the minority.

[@stoff3r]

Deb Baverstock its possible to use wintertires you know.. in our hometown the council have made a pledge to keep bikelanes clear of snow year around.

[@debbaverstock6343]

Kristoffer Hårstad Have you ever tried to ride a bike after 3 feet of snow? Even if the road has been plowed there is still snow and ice on it. And, it is not just the snow, it is also the below freezing temperatures that are fairly routine in winter. No matter how much you bundle in water proof clothing, you can't stop you eyes from watering or your glasses fogging up both of which make visibility difficult. There are just some places in North America where riding a bicycle year-round is not a feasible proposition.

[@stoff3r]

They use salt to keep snow and ice off the asphalt on the main routes. Yes it's not ideal to ride a bike on the iciest of days, just saying it's an option most of the year.

[@thastayapongsak4422]

@@debbaverstock6343 Then how could people in Scandinavia do it then? Maybe it's not a matter of climate, but the availability and accessibility of infrastructure. You might not be the one to go out biking when it's snowing, but many could and would if there were infrastructure.

[@rose8968]

He reminds me of Michael scotfield for some reason .......

[@rnagic8652]

the average person doesn't have time to ride a bike to work. I work 80+ hours a week to provide for my family. some of my peers work more than that. it's a great proposal, but it is only applicable to people who have the time to spare. . or bums.

[@BuriedErect]

rnagic I think you would be shocked at how many people do have the time. Eighty hours is an insane number. I commend you because I would be flat of the floor after that. However, for example, I spend two hours in the car every day between the ride to work and the ride home. Because of traffic, it actually would not take me much longer to bike to work, but no infrastructure exists to make that a viable option for me. Of course, not everyone will be able to use these sorts of reengineered places, but those who do will make it much easier for those who still want to or must drive. And these walkways and parks could still be enjoyed during time away from work. :)

[@rnagic8652]

I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little jealous. I blamed my career choice for the cause of my time constraints until a colleague pointed out the inefficiency of "traditional" schedules in regards to time management. I wish TED would do a presentation discussing the cascading benefits that result from effective time management practices that eliminate the need for employees to be "on-call".

[@brendan817]

Not everyone works 80 hours a week like a damn slave.

[@hotdog1082]

Goals

[@skilbhumen2875]

shh.. let papa do the work :)

[@jlsc4125]

Not his idea, see the "Rail to Trail" conservancy. They've been doing these conversions for many many years

[@ahvostik]

jl sc of course he's not claiming this has never been done before. But he had the idea to do it in Atlanta. He saw an opportunity that no one else did and our city (I'm an Atlanta native and use the beltline constantly) is better because of it.

[@jlsc4125]

Not saying it wasnt a well done effort, just saying the TED talk would have been better served to talk about the entire effort. The entire RTR effort is a much more worthy project. Just my opinion, and at least until January we still have freedom of speech.

[@jemmans]

This type of project has been done since the 1970's in the UK. I thought the video was very balanced he is not being a self publicist, but tells a story very well. Many cities in the UK have closed down the main high street for pedestrians in the last 10 years and to everyone's surprise it really improves things.

[@Helvetica09]

Why is it ridicolous to ride a bike to the store??? Here everybody does that... Especially older people or mothers with children who do not have a car...

[@ColesWorks]

Copy paste comments much?

[@crimsoncorsair9250]

TheCutZone yes. is yours? xD

[@duckdumbsmartpplimnotbored5175]

yes. is yours? xD

[@GarretSlarrity]

I got broads in Atlanta.

[@Yarshy.]

daddyyyy

[@michaeld7715]

Good architect, terrible speaker.

[@crimsoncorsair9250]

Mikey Diaz he wasa good speaker, and this is pretty irrelevant to the topic.

[@tommyacuna6384]

not more development

[@studygym4640]

First comment with the letter z

[@thepeacesentinel]

huh

[@muskmallo9623]

uwu

[@studygym4640]

Second

[@charlottemitchell2636]

Third

[@robdegouveia6262]

jfc, can presenters please stop with this self congratulating, fake humility, utopian tone! it's nauseating and the foundation of many a boondoggle. if what he's selling is so wonderful, he should find more than enough willing participants to fund it! i'm pretty certain that isn't the case. every talk like this should start with the speaker and interested parties declaring their financial interest in the project, and who's funding it.

[@robdegouveia6262]

apologies for my cynicism

[@destructonaut8506]

First

[@mayankimmortal]

Lower end of the economic spectrum? You mean power right? Capitalism even denies poverty by complicating it

[@The231998]

beating around the bush... speaker is not at all conveying the matter presicily.... wrost TED talk I have ever seen