beltline

A beltline is a term used in urban planning to describe a ring-shaped route that encircles a city. It can refer to a beltway or to a disused or repurposed rail corridor that is converted into a continuous circulation line around urban cores. Beltlines often combine transportation infrastructure with green spaces, parks, and multi-use trails, and they may include transit components such as light rail or bus rapid transit as part of a broader redevelopment strategy.

The concept commonly aims to improve regional connectivity, provide alternatives to central-city travel, and stimulate redevelopment along the corridor. Beltlines can serve both practical transportation needs and recreational purposes, linking neighborhoods, parks, schools, and commercial districts. Projects frequently involve collaboration among city governments, transit agencies, and private partners, and they may include incentives for housing and commercial development near the corridor.

Notable examples include the Atlanta BeltLine in the United States, which is a major ongoing effort to convert a former freight rail corridor into a loop of transit, trails, and public spaces around central Atlanta. Another example is the Baltimore BeltLine in Maryland, a planned network of parks, trails, and transit intended to connect neighborhoods around the city. Beyond these, the beltline concept is used in other cities worldwide as a way to repurpose transportation corridors into integrated urban greenways and mobility routes.

In essence, beltlines are flexible urban tools that merge mobility, green space, and development, with outcomes that vary by city and project stage.