As the Atlanta Beltline turns 20, let’s take a moment to reflect on what’s been accomplished so far and what lies ahead.
This anniversary is more than a milestone: It is a celebration of a collective vision. Neighborhoods connected, parks created, trails built and communities strengthened. It’s also a call to action, because public and private partnerships have brought us this far and will be essential for the next chapter.
Decades of Transformation
Over the past 20 years, the Beltline has become a powerful example of what sustained public investment, philanthropic contributions and community partnership can achieve. The project has delivered incredible results.
A few significant milestones:
- Trails & Connectivity: 13.6 miles of the mainline trail, plus 10.3 miles of connector trails complete.
- Legacy Resident Retention: More than 270 long-time homeowners enrolled in the Legacy Resident Retention Program, helping them stay in their homes and build wealth through property tax relief.
- Engagement & Wellness: The largest free fitness program in Atlanta offers 500+ free fitness classes each year and over 6,500 runners, walkers and dogs participated in the Atlanta Beltline Race Series in 2025.
- Philanthropic Support: More than 4,000 donors have given over $240 million, reflecting a deep public-private collaboration.
- Public Use: Today, the Beltline sees almost 2.5 million visits annually, a testament to its crucial place in Atlanta life, wellness, commuting and culture.
The Funding Framework: TADs, Donors, and What’s Next
As we celebrate these incredible achievements, we also recognize significant work lies ahead. We are fortunate Atlanta leaders had the foresight in 2005 to create the Atlanta Beltline Tax Allocation District (TAD) as the primary funding source for the Beltline. However, there are limitations to what the TAD can pay for, so let’s break it down.
What the TAD Can Pay For:
- Design and construction of trails, parks, transit and street improvements
- Affordable housing, particularly workforce housing
- Certain operational expenses tied to implementation
Furthermore, the TAD currently extends only through 2030, with funds earmarked to specific projects. Recognizing its importance to completing the Beltline’s vision, Mayor Andre Dickens announced his intention to pursue an extension of the Beltline TAD, which would help ensure continued investment in trails, parks, affordable housing, and transit.
What Donors Make Possible:
Vital pieces of the Beltline ecosystem are funded either partially or entirely through philanthropic grants and individual donor support:
- Iconic art installations and community-driven works like the murals, sculptures and art pieces.
- Parks: Many parks, such as the Bike Park at Shirley Clarke Franklin Park and Enota Park, receive philanthropic funding.
- The Legacy Resident Retention Program supports long-time homeowners to stay in their homes through property tax relief. This program is entirely funded through donors.
- Free Fitness Classes & Community Learning Programs: The free fitness classes and financial wellness programs are made possible by donors and grant funding.
Philanthropy helps fill the funding gaps and is foundational to Beltline programs. Every donation—whether $25, $25,000, or $25 million—helps bring Beltline projects and programs to life.
People’s gifts help fuel equity. Funds go toward supporting legacy residents, building and maintaining parks and underwriting free programming.
As the Beltline works to complete its 22-mile trail loop by 2030 and deepen its impact through parks, wellness programs and art, philanthropy will remain key to success.
Join the Next 20 Years of Transformation
Thank you for your support for the first twenty years. On this 20th anniversary, we invite you, our community, our partners and our supporters, to recommit. If the Beltline has been a part of your life, your commute, your wellness or your creativity, now is the moment to invest in its future. You can help push this forward by advocating and donating.
Donate: Your philanthropic investment ensures that the Beltline remains more than infrastructure. It is a thriving, equitable, inclusive public space.
Engage: Stay involved. Attend events, bring friends and neighbors and help amplify the message: The Beltline belongs to all of us.
Advocate: As discussions continue around TAD extension and long-term funding, the stakes are high: extending the TAD is essential to complete the Beltline park system, build transit solutions, expand trail and streetscape connections and continue investing in affordable housing. Let civic leaders and your representatives know this project is worth supporting.
We’ve made it easy: you can use this link to send a message to your councilmember in just a few minutes. And you can find your council members’ emails here. To learn more about TADs, visit here.
For more information and to support the next chapter of the Beltline, visit https://beltline.org/support/ and explore ways to get involved.
This is sponsored content.
Over the past 20 years, the Beltline has become a powerful example of what sustained public investment,