Decatur Mayor Bill Floyd on the Transit Vote

Decatur Mayor Bill Floyd makes an interesting point in the video below when he says;

The key to it is to let people understand what's at stake here. I heard someone say this last week: Who do you think is gonna be cheering when this doesn't pass on Aug. 1? Is it gonna be the tea party people? Is it gonna be those in South DeKalb? Is it gonna be those who think we're paying a penny and we don't want to pay any more? It's gonna be Charlotte, it's gonna be Dallas, it's gonna be Phoenix. It's gonna be everybody we compete with for jobs on a daily basis. They will know we've stepped back from the plate. They will know we are not willing to take the steps here to move this region forward.

Check out the whole clip below:

AJC's Top 100 Workplaces - Where's Roswell?

I am fortunate to be employed at one of the AJC’s top 100 workplaces.  Unfortunately, for Roswell residents, almost none of those workplaces are in Roswell.  We have to commute outside our borders to find the best employers. The map is telling and the Roswell Business Alliance, Downtown Development Authority and Strategic Economic Development Planning team should take note.  

image: AJCIf we want to live in a walkable city, we need to have high quality jobs in walkable locations.  

Collaborate on the Historic Gateway Master Plan

I'm actually a little disappointed to say that I wasn't aware of this site until just last week.  As part of the community involvement portion of the Historic Gateway Master Plan project, the consultant, DPZ, and the city have set up an Idea Collaboration website at www.roswellgateway.com.  Users can submit their ideas, comment on others and second ones that they like.  This allows great ideas to bubble up to the top giving DPZ and the city a better idea of what the citizens are looking for beyond what they heard during workshops.  It also allows anyone whose schedule does not permit the ability to submit their feedback for the record.

Please check out the site and add your input.  Here are some of the ideas I've submitted so far:

• Grocery Store in the Historic District
• Allow Exclusive Weddings and Events at Barrington and Bulloch
• Canopy Tour Through the National Forest
• Build Whitewater Kayak and Outdoor Lifestyle Center
• Target the Outdoor Sporting and Lifestyle Market
• Allow Some of All Housing Types

Check them out and second them if you like them or add some commentary to improve them.  Let's make our historic district a place for people and not cars!

City Hall Square - DPZ Concept

We saved the most innovative of the DPZ proposals for last.  Now, to be up front and honest with everyone, it is my second favorite of the three proposals.  The New Canton Street proposal is actually my favorite but this one is a close second.

This proposal creates a true civic square that functions as the heart of the city anchored by all of the traditional institutions of government and culture. It would slow traffic down but still allow it to flow. Remember that 30 mph is the ideal speed for traffic volumes. This design could maintain that. The proposal would create an incredible location for the new Walk of Valor memorial. Additionally, it would provide a home to the new Fulton County library that is being considered and a new courthouse for the city. The Arts Center would anchor Canton Street and create an amazing cultural amenity that all could see. This is a signature project for Roswell. It could transform the face of our city.

Now, if your concerned with what to do with the old library and the performing arts center, I have a great idea. It could serve as an incredible foundation for a Roswell Charter School campus that would give our city center the school it is lacking. I feel there are better locations that are more central to the neighborhood (Oak St & 9 Intersection) but this would be a real opportunity that could happen in tandem with the City Hall Square. Check out the presentation below to see the vision unfold.

All images courtesy of Duany Plater-Zyberk

New Canton Street - Mill Village Neighborhood - DPZ Concept

This concept is the next in a great series of ideas that DPZ has brought to the table to revitalize our historic district.  The idea here is a vision of what a new back street that runs parallel to Atlanta Street from Oxbo to Mill St could look like.  This land is unique in that it is owned by relatively few owners who would all likely be open to redevelopment and in its beautiful natural slopes.  

The idea behind this concept originated in the fact that building up to hwy 9 in this spot is never going to really achieve the desired effect of creating a special place with great business.  The reasoning behind this is that the other side of the street isn't going to be built up.  This creates a lopsided feel that just doesn't work right and any businesses that would eventually go there would suffer. Additionally, the traffic along hwy 9 is never going to get any better.  Thus, there was the option of doing nothing or find an alternative.

This back street concept achieves multiple objectives; creating a retail anchor for me mill village, creating a truly unique visual experience that is appropriate for that area and allowing automobile traffic on hwy 9 to continue its flow unimpeded.  This concept also gives life to the boutique hotel concept by creating a true reason for it to be there.  Additionally, it will activate our square and bring more people closer to our cultural and natural amenities.

Check out the slideshow for additional commentary.

You can use the controls on the presentation viewer to move through the slides or just let it switch through automatically. I would suggest you enlarge this one to full screen as the images are detailed. Again, any writing on these was added by me and is not part of the original DPZ presentation.

All images provided courtesy of Duany Plater-Zyberk

Southern Neighborhood Center - DPZ Concept

This slideshow takes a look at the southern neighborhood center concept. This one is the most up in the air at the moment due to some last minute changes in thought on the one-way pair. Essentially, Mr. Duany did not like it at first. He also heard opposition from several of the condo owners at the kickoff presentation at City Hall. In that discussion, he stated that the only reason the Creek View Condos should support the one-way pair is if they receive first rate urbanism in return for the state route moving closer to their property. He asked that they consider it and get back to him.

In the meantime, the DPZ staff planned the corridor as if the one-way pair would not work. So, what you see in the slideshow is a proposal based on the current path that South Atlanta currently follows. It would be widened to two lanes in each direction with a service lane separated by landscaping in each direction with parking. This would create a wide boulevard type feel that would be similar to a Parisian boulevard where the fast (through) traffic in the center is separated from the local traffic on the service lanes.

In this concept, the entire corridor would receive a facelift. The older buildings would be replaced with newer buildings that would serve as retail, office and residential. I do believe Mr. Duany warmed to the one-way pair idea after seeing sketches by Mickey O'Brien of URS at the Historic Gateway Transportation Advisory Group meeting last Thursday evening (see those sketches here on slide 13). So, the DPZ concepts could change a litte bit between now and the final presentation. Additionally, there is a lot of undeveloped land on the north of 9 behind the conceptual buildings that he said could easily develop over time into additional pieces of the neighborhood even if the DPZ plan were the community's preferred alternative.

You can use the controls on the presentation viewer to move through the slides or just let it switch through automatically. I would suggest you enlarge this one to full screen as the images are detailed. Again, any writing on these was added by me and is not part of the original DPZ presentation. Our next posts will examine each of these three areas in more detail.

All images provided courtesy of Duany Plater-Zyberk

Neighborhood Centers - DPZ Special Projects

The next piece of the DPZ presentation is a high level overview of the three neighborhood centers they have taken on as special projects. There are three different recommendations for each of these unique areas and each of them is revolutionary for Roswell in its own right. They took a look at a new town square centered just south of Canton Street, a New Canton Street concept in the mill village that would run from Oxbo to Mill St and finally the southern village which centers on the South Atlanta St Baptist Church.

Take a look at the slideshow with commentary from me. You can use the controls on the presentation viewer to move through the slides or just let it switch through automatically. I would suggest you enlarge this one to full screen as the images are detailed. Again, any writing on these was added by me and is not part of the original DPZ presentation. Our next posts will examine each of these three areas in more detail.

All images provided courtesy of Duany Plater-Zyberk

Suggested Barrington Improvements

Over the next few days, I will be posting images and slides from the Andres Duany presentation last week on a future vision for Historic Roswell. These will give you a summary of what was discussed in his talk (watch here) at the Roswell Mill. We're kicking these posts off with a relatively simple set of slides showing the recommended transformation of the Barrington Hall wall and grounds as visible from Mimosa. You can use the controls on the presentation viewer to move through the slides or just let it switch through automatically. Any writing on the pictures was added by me and is not part of the original DPZ presentation.

All images provided courtesy of Duany Plater-Zyberk

Andres Duany Presents His Vision for Historic Roswell

Last night, Andres Duany of DPZ, presented three amazing neighborhood village concepts for Historic Roswell along with a quick fix for Barrington Hall to increase its visibility. These concepts have been refined over the past two weeks to incorporate community input that came from two days of public workshops last month. The ideas enhanced by visuals are absolutely incredible. He reviews all of them in this video. I will be posting images from the slideshow over the next several days and will continue to post new images as the planning process progresses. There was a lot of positive energy in the crowd and I believe these visions will leave a realistic and lasting impression on what Historic Roswell can become. Please share this with anyone who is interested in making Roswell a better place!

The Importance of Building a Sense of Place

Place is more than just a location on a map. A sense of place is a unique collection of qualities and characteristics – visual, cultural, social, and environmental – that provide meaning to a location. A community’s unique identity also adds economic and social value. To foster distinctiveness, cities must plan for built environments and settlement patterns that are both uplifting and memorable and that foster a sense of belonging and stewardship by residents.

There isn't really a better way to state the importance of place than this excerpt from an article from The Atlantic Cities . At Monday's council meeting, I stressed to to the council that the Groveway Hybrid Form-Based Code is the first step that needs to be taken to begin building places where people WANT to be here in Roswell.  In an article titled Character is Key to an Economically Vibrant City, Edward McMahaon makes a great case dor doing just that.  Build places where people want to be, and you will have success.