In The New York Times article “A Glorified Sidewalk, and the Path to Transform Atlanta,” Richard Fausset describes the impact and potential of the Beltline project taking place in Atlanta. Fausset looks at the reputation of Atlanta’s past being “the epitome of urban sprawl” and proceeds to examine how the Beltline promises to transform that notion and even how it already has. The author also compares it to similar projects already done in New York and Chicago, mentioning that the scope of the Atlanta project surpasses past projects. He also looks at how the existing product of the Beltline has already yielded benefits for Atlanta, including more affordable housing and expansion of business opportunities. As a whole, the article serves as a solid introduction to the idea of the Beltline for someone unfamiliar with the project, particularly those living outside of Atlanta.

For research on the Beltline, this article shows a non-Atlantan view of the project, and even the city, through people who do not live there, for people who do not live there, and, from my quick search online, is the first instance of a major, non-Georgian media entity reporting on the Beltline. However, some Georgian writers have quickly criticized the article’s title as being condescending or dismissive. Nevertheless, the article helps an Atlantan researcher understand the perceptions and expectations of the city’s project from a different view that he or she has likely not been acquainted with. To an Atlantan, the article may not do justice, but Atlantans do need to see through the eyes of others when writing about this project.