The City Reader - Suburban Sprawl

We have discussed the areas where we've observed the effects of sprawl, but Urban Hiking Atlanta, a blog logging the expeditions of a hiking society, illustrates the scenic marvels of Atlanta. Devoid of noisy traffic and cookie cutter homes, urban hiking is an opportunity to escape the asphalt jungle created by sprawl. Walking along the Atlanta BeltLine, some 22-miles of light rail transit connecting the existing MARTA system and the proposed Peachtree Streetcar, Urban Hiking Atlanta explores the 1,200 acres of new greenspace alongside the railway. Interestingly, in an attempt to link multiple city neighborhoods, the BeltLine was proposed in 1999 by Ryan Gravel, a Georgia Tech graduate student. His original plans have grown to include transit, parks and even trails, the main attraction for Urban Hiking Atlanta.

With a hike nearly every week, Urban Hiking Atlanta documents the changes that take place as the BeltLine comes closer to completion. With the use of images and video, this is a great blog for anyone interested in getting a closer look at the many landscapes Altanta has to offer. The following are some of the scenes that this hiking group visited.


These nature enthusiasts explore this expansive system of railways not simply for the natural views, but to witness as industrial property is transformed into mixed property. The renewal of Atlanta serves as the primary motivation for the blog’s author. In an attempt to spread awareness of the BeltLine and the changes it is expected to produce, Urban Hiking Atlanta is flooded with images that depict scenes from various hikes. In my opinion, the visual appeal is a more attractive medium than the text itself. The images allow readers to witness the same views that hikers experience during their trips. The blog also allows hikers to view the routes of future hikes in order to bring the necessary equipment.


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Urban Hiking Atlanta is a wonderful resource for locals of Atlanta that want to get a better feel of their surroundings. Although anyone can access this blog, its focus is directed primarily towards local readers in order to spread awareness of the BeltLine. Although I am not a local, this blog has really increased my interest in the Atlanta BeltLine and the trails that run beside its tracks.

-Kevin