The BeltLine, one of the country’s most ambitious urban renewal projects, rises above North Avenue here.
The Atlanta BeltLine got some free advice from five journalists talking to a roomful of public relations professionals this morning.
- The BeltLine could become the biggest thing to happen to the city since the 1996 Olympics – bigger than the Games, maybe, since it will be permanent.
- The BeltLine might be too popular (crowded) for its own good.
- But residents are still going to be worried about security at night.
- And, finally, BeltLine neighbor Kroger “should just own (the nickname) ‘Murder Kroger.’”
The forum at the Mandarin Hotel in Buckhead was put on by The Wilbert Group, a PR agency owned by two of my former colleagues at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Tony and Caroline Wilbert. Another, ex-AJC Business editor Mark Braykovich, further shows the agency’s deep roots in news. The AJC’s senior managing editor, Bert Roughton, was on the panel, along with:
- Melissa Long of 11 Alive TV News
- Steve Fennessy, editor of Atlanta magazine
- Richard Fausset, Atlanta correspondent for The New York Times
- Anita Sharpe, Atlanta bureau chief at Bloomberg
Topics included top stories of the year, the upcoming elections, commercial real estate and more. Other highlights tweeted live from the audience included:
@SavannahBDuncan The @AtlantaBeltLine is an important project but security is a concern says @MelissaLong
@HadleyHCreek The Atlanta beltline has been huge in attracting companies and people back to the city core – @BloombergNews Anita Sharpe
@lianamoran “Younger people want a walking city” – @BloombergNews on the @AtlantaBeltLine
@CarolineWilbert “What is the big thought? That is always the question from New York Times.” — NYT bureau chief
@adahatzios Panel agrees that commercial real estate is back…more cranes in town, urban centers growing in places like Roswell & Woodstock
@conorsen Atlanta, with no natural boundaries, is defined by [transportation infrastructure and] commercial real estate.
@JBryantFisher Will the new Buckhead work? #ATL‘s top newsies debate the new feel of a city grappling with transportation cramps. #coveringatlanta
@MaryJaneCredeur Surprised by how many young business professionals say they plan to vote for @carter4governor. -Anita Sharpe, Bloomberg.
@AR__PR .@MelissaLong says you can get just as much traction from an online story as one on the air. #coveringatlanta
And here’s The Wilbert Group’s nice SlideShare about the event. Good stuff for anyone interested in news and its coverage in our city.
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