What Makes an Exceptional Urban Multi-use Trail? Stories from the Atlanta BeltLine - 1.0 PDH (LA CES/HSW) / 1.0 GBCI SITES-Specific CE

Trails are valuable infrastructure for catalyzing positive change in our cities. The Westside Trail Extension, part of the Atlanta BeltLine, is the first SITES-registered multi-use urban trail to prioritize carbon impact reduction, equitable placemaking and restorative landscapes. Achieving these goals creates a fascinating web of solutions that deliver transformative results. 

The GBCI course ID for this course is 920025328, providing SITES-specific CE hours required to maintain SITES AP credentials. Participants will need to pass the exam at the end of the presentation in order to receive a certificate of completion. Participants will need to self-report CE hours through their credentials account on https://sitesonline.usgbc.org.

Learning objectives:

• Discover lessons learned from original sustainability goals set by Atlanta BeltLine Inc.(ABI) to present day context, and how this evolution has shaped overall sustainability for the BeltLine trail at large.
• Learn how the ABI's approach to design and construction of the newest urban multi-use trail section addresses climate change, improved social equity outcomes, ecosystem services and performance measures.
• Explore design strategies for addressing urban trail corridor challenges that involve green stormwater infrastructure, grade changes, accommodation of existing and future transit, and compatibility with adjacent development.
• Understand how the SITES certification process has adapted to a linear project and is supporting the use of the Climate Positive Design Pathfinder tool to address carbon impacts.