STATION SOCCER: WEST END

ABOUT

Soccer in the Streets (SITS) is a grassroots organization based in Atlanta that bridges communities, athletics, and public transit. The organization targets underutilized land at MARTA train stations and transforms them into outdoor soccer fields. The Department of City Planning (DCP) and SITS began their partnership in 2018 when DCP and SITS began collaborating on permitting processes and city-guided funding through the Federal Transit Administration. Since then, the collaboration grew into partnering on-site design and joint community engagement events.

The soccer pitches are intended to serve both MARTA transit users and the communities that surround the installations. SITS has lasting positive effects on Atlanta communities by making active outdoor experiences accessible to all and by providing programming that prioritizes youth education and involvement. DCP and SITS are committed to the improvement of public spaces and the betterment of the quality of public life in Atlanta. We share the goal of providing exceptional outdoor spaces in which all can partake and benefit. SITS reach goes beyond repurposing unused land and transforming it into beautiful and functional space. Over time, the fields will create a network of connected communities throughout the city. The program is slated to include a total of 18 soccer fields and youth development programs all connected by transit.

CITY DESIGN CORE VALUES

All Office of Design initiatives incorporate at least one of the Atlanta City Design core values.

DESIGN

In early 2020, the Atlanta City Studio (ACS) supported SITS by assisting in the development of a site concept plan that proposed locations of site elements at the West End MARTA Station. Site elements included a viewing platform, an outdoor learning center, community gardens, and artistic murals on the columns that support the MARTA tracks. ACS hosted an engagement session asking children from the local community what they like to see in the outdoor classroom. The activity encouraged the kids to express their creativity and take an active role in contributing to the station. In the spring of 2023, the viewing platform designed by ACS was installed. The Studio is still working with SITS to design the outdoor classroom.