Abramson and his team conducted a “hotspot analysis,” mapping security incidents around downtown. It showed that half as many incidents occurred in the central parts of campus compared to the edges.
“We saw that if we could drive activity to the core of our campus, we have a much better chance of our community having a more comfortable, predictable experience,” he says.
But first, the campus itself needs to be better defined.
“We need to brand it, so you know when you’re on campus and when you’re not,” Abramson says.
You’ll know you’re on the GSU Blue Line because, well, it’ll be blue. Waves of Panther blue will start appearing in ground-floor windows of buildings along the route, block-long decals that signal to users they’re on the right track. There will also be more Georgia State-branded crosswalks, sidewalks and welcome banners, and blue accent lights illuminating the way.
Security upgrades included installing more street lighting, with brighter LED bulbs, and adding AI-equipped cameras that can detect unusual noises or gathering crowds, and automatically get the attention of a campus police dispatcher. Blue emergency call boxes have been added along the route, and parking decks have been equipped with security cameras, mirrors and high-speed gates. A new access-control policy limits entry to most GSU buildings and parking decks to PantherCard holders.
But safety is not just about lighting and cameras. It’s about people.
“A critical mass of like-minded people walking together: That’s what really creates safety,” Abramson says. He points to the Atlanta BeltLine as a model for what he wants to create downtown.
The BeltLine took 22 miles of disused 19th-century railway and turned it into what is today one of Atlanta’s most popular attractions. On any given day, the most developed portion of the trail is alive with people on foot, on bikes, on scooters; they’re walking dogs and pushing strollers on their way to bars, restaurants, Pilates studios, shops, apartment buildings and parks that line the route. It’s not uncommon to see kids skateboarding next to an outdoor yoga class while a busker plays the drums and people sip lavender lattes at a pop-up café in front of a piece of public art.
For Darin Givens, co-founder of the urbanism advocacy group Thread ATL, safety and vibrancy both stem from this kind of street-level activity.
“It’s what the great Jane Jacobs called ‘eyes on the street’: People behind windows looking at the street, taking ownership of the place,” says Givens, citing the activist who championed people-friendly urbanism in 1960s New York City. “Unfortunately, much of GSU was built at a time when people were not thinking about these issues. We were trying to cater to people who would drive in, park, go to their classes and get back in their cars and drive away. There was not much thought to making this a vibrant urban environment.”
The current university administration wants to change that. President Blake has said he’d like to see more residential students downtown, and he and Abramson want those students to feel that they belong there.
“We have evolved beyond a commuter campus, and people need to be able to feel like their neighborhood is their home,” Abramson says.
For Blake, the GSU Blue Line is a significant step forward in the Identity, Placemaking and Belonging pillar in the university’s new strategic plan, which is aimed at creating a campus that’s a sought-after destination for students and a more inviting place to be.
“It promises to be transformative for both Georgia State and downtown Atlanta, and we are thrilled to see our vision become a reality,” Blake said. “Jared and his team deserve a tremendous amount of credit for getting this incredible project underway.”
