ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Regional Commission recently awarded $34 million in grants to help 13 Metro Atlanta communities build innovative transportation projects.

Each project includes pedestrian and bicycle improvements to encourage residents to find "greener" ways of getting from place to place, and to make these neighborhoods more livable and supportive of transit.

The money was given through the ARC's Livable Center Initiative, which is funded with federal transportation dollars.

"LCI has helped communities across Metro Atlanta re-tool and redesign over the years, creating more plans that attract residents and businesses alike," said Doug Hooker, executive director of ARC. "This program is a model for others around the country and has helped to create or finalize many of our region's most innovative and livable communities."

ATLANTA (Oct. 18, 2011) – After months of planning and construction as a result of collaboration with partner and sponsor organizations, as well as the City of Atlanta, representatives of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) and its grassroots initiative, America’s Backyard, are ready to host the grand re-opening of historic Selena Butler Park in Atlanta on Wed., Nov. 2 at 4 p.m.

NRPA CEO Barbara Tulipane announced in April the D.C.-based nonprofit’s plans to duplicate the Parks Build Community initiative on Atlanta’s Butler Park – named for an iconic figure in the struggle for racial equality in American education and cofounder of the National Parent-Teacher Association. In just seven months, Butler Park has undergone a massive facelift to the tune of $1.6 million.

“Two years ago, we decided to dedicate resources and forge new partnerships to proactively revive local parks in underserved urban areas,” says Tulipane.

The Atlanta Beltline project is a diverse 2.8 billion project to renovate neighborhoods, parks and commercial space for an area of the city that will be connected by town-car (incorporating old railroad tracks).  The project incorporates nature and neighborhood's existing materials to create a neighborhood that's "eco-fabulous", as our tour guide called it. Brian Leary, the brain behind this project was a college student who was inspired by a similar plan in Paris.

Every Friday and Saturday at 9:30AM, the Atlanta Beltline hosts a free three hour tour along this beltline that highlights the circle that the town cars will transit. Currently, this Beltline tour is reserved for the next year but I was lucky enough to find a seat, due to a cancellation.

I didn't know what to expect on these tours. When I signed up I had never imagined the tour would take three hours out of my Saturday.