Ryan Gravel

Biography: Ryan Gravel is an urban thinker, designer, author, and builder – an entrepreneur working on ideas about the future of cities. Best known for his master’s thesis and early work that launched the Atlanta Beltline, a 22-mile transit greenway circling downtown Atlanta, Ryan’s work centers on strategies for change that advance a broad, inclusive vision for communities. He was the lead creator of the Atlanta City Design, which designs the city’s inevitable change so that it grows into a better version of itself. And along with other projects at Sixpitch and his book, Where We Want to Live, (St. Martin’s Press), Ryan investigates the cultural side of infrastructure, describing how its intimate relationship with our way of life can illuminate a brighter path forward for cities. Ryan serves on boards for the Partnership for Southern Equity and the MillionMile Greenway. He serves on the Urban Land Institute Atlanta’s Liveable Community Council and the Lifecycle Building Center’s Advisory Board.