The Urban Island Oasis

Michael Goodwin
ARCH 8821 ~ 'Public' Space:
Questions, Configurations and Adventures
Fall 2002

Atlanta has developed as a decentralized city which, with the help of the automobile, encouraged the sprawl that is Atlanta Metropolis. After years of uncontrolled growth the borders of Atlanta Metro are encroaching onto the border of Alabama and quite possibly Tennessee. Atlanta has been rated as having the second highest commute time for a person to get to and from work each day, yet people take the attitude of so I will get up a few hours earlier and get home a little later.

With the problems of traffic and pollution continuing to rise within Atlanta, something has to be done. Some, like politicians, go for the quick fix, build more and wider roads and the traffic will be able to flow smoother. What they fail to look at is the long term effects. Sure there's more space but that space will fill up in a matter of years; look at I-75 and 85. In original plans, 2 lanes in each direction were supposed to be able to sustain all of the traffic needs for Atlanta at least until the year 2000. Well it is now 2002 and there are 4-6 lanes in each direction, note that these lanes have been here since before 2000. Another view that has been taken is the redevelopment of the city of Atlanta; you know, downtown, "Peachtree Street," and development around mass transit like Perimeter Station. The redevelopment of the urban environment takes 3 different forms, New Urbanism, Post Urbanism, and Everyday Urbanism; these will be further explained later.

The focus of this website is the investigation of one particular urban revitalization; Atlantic Station. Currently there are mixed views of how successful Atlantic Station will be. The investigation will entail the attempt to classify Atlantic Station into a form of urbanism by comparing it to existing forms of urbanism, also; theories of how Atlantic Station will be able to interact with its neighbors will be looked at. The intent is not to argue for one side or the other, but instead to gain a personal understanding of Atlantic Station and how it fits into the puzzle that is Atlanta.