Atlanta is one of the fastest growing urban centers in the United States, ranking 11th nationwide. It has a vibrant downtown and midtown, where the city’s unique culture prospers. However, unlike most other cities, 15 lanes of highway carve through the city’s center, creating a physical divide. The city needs to prioritize efforts to fix this issue and improve Atlanta’s connectedness.
A solution to Atlanta’s highway problem was proposed almost ten years ago, in 2015, when urban designers proposed a plan to cap off the downtown connector. Called “the Stitch,” the plan would cover the old highway with green space and parks. However, funding delays have hindered the project’s progress. The City of Atlanta needs to take this project more seriously and heavily invest in its construction for the betterment of the community.
In 2019, when the Stitch entered the planning stages, it was predicted that the project would cost upwards of $450 million. The plan was to build the Stitch in phases, with each phase needing sufficient funding before proceeding. These phases incrementally cover more and more of the highway over the coming years.
The main source of funding comes from the Neighborhood Access and Equity Program, which was established by Congresswoman Nikema Williams’ Neighborhood Access and Equity Grants Act. In March, the program allocated $207 million to city projects, with $157 million going to the Stitch and the other $50 million going to Beltline expansion.
While $157 million is no small amount, and will greatly benefit the project, it still falls short. Even when considering other funding sources, the Stitch doesn’t have half the $450 million that the project is supposed to cost. Despite being able to potentially begin work on the first phase, it’s unlikely that the project would be able to be finished entirely any time soon.
Money isn’t the only factor at play, either. The split in the community that is caused by the highway is problematic for Atlanta. The section of I-85 and I-75 which splits Downtown and Midtown is known to divide black communities and segregate Atlanta’s population. The layout of the highways in and around Atlanta can even be linked back to the city’s historic desire to divide black and white populations.
While the laws and rules that used to marginalize black populations have come and gone, the lasting effects are still present. Atlanta’s highways, which were designed with separation in mind, are still present and used today, and it’s likely too late to restructure this system. However, the Stitch would help bridge the gap between communities and repair the damage done by segregation and systemic racism.
The Stitch won’t only act as a connector between Downtown and Midtown, it will also provide Atlanta residents with an urban green space. Green spaces improve the health of the environment and the people living around them. They also help decrease the effects of the urban heat island effect, where buildings and infrastructure absorb and hold heat, a large contributor to climate change.
The increased connectivity in the city center will also make Atlanta’s transit more connected. The Civic Center MARTA station, located near where the Stitch is set to be built, is set to see developments as a result of the project. Transit use will also likely rise across Atlanta as a whole, as walkability in the city center makes more places accessible without the use of cars.
The development around the Stitch, including residential, business and leisure infrastructure, is a benefit, too. Researchers anticipate lots of growth around Downtown and Midtown in both infrastructure and economy. The areas of direct economic impact are identified as all of the land within a half mile of the Stitch, but development even further is likely. Not only will the Stitch connect Downtown and Midtown, it will allow both to prosper.
The idea of capping off a highway might seem extreme or unrealistic, but it’s been done before. The most notable example is Boston, where in 1991, construction began on The Big Dig, a project with the goal of burying Boston’s highways below ground. Boston had its own highway, the Central Artery, which ran through downtown and shared the problems present in Atlanta today. But following completion in 2007, Boston’s downtown has been transformed, and Atlanta’s can be too.
