The Atlanta Beltline today unveiled a new “visual identity” and website designed to better update and engage users as the project moves toward its 2030 completion date.
The new branding, led by Atlanta-based marketing agency Alloy, features a streamlined font and colorful logo called “The Beacon,” which will begin appearing on new signage along the trail over the next three to six months.
In an interview with Rough Draft, the project’s President & CEO Clyde Higgs said the Beltline is approaching the 20th anniversary of the creation of the tax allocation district which kicked off the creation of the 22-mile trail loop around Atlanta.
“We’re embarking on the next chapter of our story,” Higgs said. “This new website and brand is truly a refresh. It reflects the progress we’ve made and where we’re going, emphasizing our role as a catalyst for making Atlanta a global beacon for equitable, inclusive, and sustainable life.”
He said the Beltline was no longer a “nascent project, but a functioning redevelopment project for the community.”
“We want the visual identity to be sophisticated and the new website to be a credible source of information you can trust,” Higgs said.
Higgs also noted that the Beltline is now Atlanta’s “front door” on an international scale following the King and Queen of the Netherlands’ recent visit that made headlines around the world.
Meghann Gibbons, the Beltline’s vice president of communications and media relations, said the website was overdue for a makeover and hadn’t been refreshed in more than seven years.
“The new website is a ‘choose your own adventure,'” Gibbons said. “You can easily find out where events are happening, get information on one of our fitness classes, information on taxes, and updates on projects happening in the neighborhoods.”
The Beltline collaborated with Atlanta-based tech startups Smart Studio and Azul Arc to develop a specialized event platform designed to cater to Beltline users and attendees of its diverse range of community meetings, art and cultural events, and free fitness programs.
To explore the new website, visit www.beltline.org.
Gibbons said The Beacon logo would also be used as a navigational tool to show visitors where they are on the trail and to guide them to their next destination. She said the logo and its color palette represent the diversity and vibrancy of each of the 45 neighborhoods the Beltline connects.
The bold red arrows represent the city’s strong connection to the color, including the logos for Coca-Cola and Delta, the strong association with the Falcons and Atlanta United, and even the red clay Georgia sits on.
As the Beltline looks ahead, Higgs said he was confident the trail portion of the project would be complete by 2030. By the first quarter of 2026, more than 16 contiguous miles – including the 4-mile Southside Trail – will be complete.
Higgs said the connection of the Southside Trail, which will finally link the Eastside to the Westside trail, will be a major milestone.
As for the controversial issue of transit on the Beltline, Higgs said he was still encouraged that “most people agree some kind of transit is needed” and that neighborhoods were having conversations about what the mode should be.
The plan to extend the Downtown streetcar to the Eastside Trail and up to Ponce City Market has been muted following Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens’ comments that he wasn’t sold on the idea of extending the streetcar.
But Higgs said he believed transit was still an integral part of the project. “We have to give the people and option to get around the city without a vehicle,” he said.
