Atlanta BeltLine Originator Ryan Gravel Resigns From Board

Al Such / WABE

Ryan Gravel made a name for himself by coming up with the idea of the Atlanta BeltLine. Now, he’s calling for a return to more grassroots involvement in the project.

In a letter to the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership earlier this week, he and Nathaniel Smith resigned from the board of the organization, saying they’re worried it has not focused enough on equitable development and affordable housing.

“We believe that the primary accountability for the Atlanta Beltline is not to private funders, civic partners, or to organizational leadership, but to the people of Atlanta who have given the most to make the project possible,” they wrote.