The Kernel of the Idea

In his thesis, Gravel came up with what he calls the “kernel of the idea” that ultimately became the Atlanta BeltLine, a proposed 22-mile loop of multiuse trails and light rail connecting 45 intown neighborhoods and parks, and constructed along abandoned railroad corridors encircling the city. The massive redevelopment plan got underway in 2006. 

Its impact was felt almost immediately. With each mile of track pulled up, kudzu cleared, and trail paved, explosive economic development in BeltLine-adjacent areas followed. New commercial and residential growth began to transform neighborhoods and remake iconic Atlanta landmarks including the old Sears, Roebuck & Co. Building, the Masquerade, and even the Hotel Clermont. Today, several segments have been completed (minus the rail, so far), but many miles and much work remain.

“This was made possible by hundreds of thousands of people,” Gravel says. “I see my role in that, and I’m proud of that role, for sure. But there is also a real sense of obligation to live up to the promise of it. We’re still in what I think of as the early stages of building it. We’ve got a long way to go to actually deliver on that promise, and it matters how we do it.”

 

Changing the Way We Think About the City

Over the years, the construction of the BeltLine has dovetailed with the Great Recession, uneven economic recovery, and gentrification. The project has been criticized for failing to live up to promises of including affordable housing and light rail. But, love it or hate it, it’s impossible to ignore its seismic significance for Atlanta.

“I think the biggest, most important change is not the physical thing itself,” Gravel says. “The most important outcome of the BeltLine, that’s already evident, is that it’s changing the way we think about the city.”

As he puts it, “I grew up stuck in traffic on 285. My kids are growing up with the BeltLine as their worldview. They think Atlanta’s the kind of place where you can walk to the grocery store and walk everywhere you want to go without having to get in a car. This is what they want. This is their expectation for their lives and for Atlanta.”

 

 

Generator X

Gravel is optimistic that there are other big ideas out there, with the potential to reshape Atlanta — and other cities — in the 21^st century, and the designer, developer, and entrepreneur wants to help.

“I’m a big believer in ideas,” he explains. “I have met a lot of people who also have great ideas, but their voices aren’t being heard, they don’t have a platform to share, and they need expertise or some other kind of support.”

So, he helped create a startup called Generator, located in the Telephone Factory Lofts on Ralph McGill near the Carter Center. The goal was to design a space where people listen to ideas and develop a culture of sharing and implementing them.

“We need young visionaries to define what kind of change they want and who they want it to be for,” Gravel says. “And we need to be listening to them. Generator is about generating those ideas.”

The nonprofit will share space with a restaurant called Aftercar, slated to open in spring or summer 2020. The restaurant will eventually fund Generator, but Gravel says that philanthropic support at this moment is crucial to early-stage success. To that end, Generator will continue hosting events and bringing people together while also raising funds.

“What drives me is ideas about the future,” he explains. “I like ideas that nobody’s asking for, that nobody’s looking for — ideas that are changing the world and the way we think about the world.”

To learn more about the ideas driving Generator, visit www.generatorcity.org.

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