New Urban Roswell Review

We haven't posted a NUR Update in a while but that doesn't mean it has been quiet.  Probably the biggest event recently was the 18th Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU18) that was held two weeks ago downtown.  Tours were held all over the metro area and we were lucky to have one right here in Roswell.  There were so many stories related to CNU18 that we decided to do a separate post.  Below you will find a rundown of everything that we have found notable over the past several weeks aside from CNU18.

Roswell

Faulty Lights Cause Confusion in Roswell - NorthFulton.com

Those darn reversible lanes.  I really think it's time to start on the South Atlanta Street project before someone gets killed.  

Metro

Jaywalkers Take Deadly Risks - AJC

This is a must read.  It is a telling case of how suburbia, bad urbanism and planning can combine for deadly outcomes.  Essentially, the article details just how dangerous the suburbs are for pedestrians, especially those who ride the bus.  Notable quotes: "21 to 25 percent of pedestrian crashes occurred within 100 feet of bus stops and 41 to 48 percent happened within 300 feet.", "Transportation for America, which advocates against sprawl and in favor of walking and mass transit, ranks Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta as the 10th-most dangerous metro area for pedestrians."

Water Stewardship Act A Strong First Step, More Green Steps Needed - Saporta Report

We are pleased to see that conservation has finally made it into our legislation concerning our water resources.  Additionally, it is also encouraging to see that water is now being viewed as an asset that is in limited supply.  We should be working on ways to reduce our water usage on all fronts as well as ways to ensure that the water filtering down into our watersheds is not polluted as is much of the runoff that reaches our rivers and streams today.  Notable quote; "In the end, SB 370 will be the strongest water conservation measure in the United States when it becomes law." 

Gwinnett Towers to be Dismantled - AJC

Does Success No Longer Live There? I think I like Gwinnett just a little bit more now. Well, just a little bit. I still find it disgraceful for the most part. The land use patterns in that county are some of the worst in the nation and the sprawl induced traffic is deadly if you hit it at the wrong time.  There are a few things to like though.  One of them being the Suwanee Town Center.  Success may still live there.

Since we're in Gwinnett...

Gwinnett's HOT Lanes One Step Closer to Construction - AccessNorthGa.com

Two words.  Not HOT.

Atlanta LINK Group Heads to Phoenix to Learn About Water, Education & Transportation - Saporta Report

I can see how this would be useful. Two areas we can learn from Phoenix are in water consumption and light rail. Let's hope our leaders bring some good ideas back to GA.

Gwinnett LEED Certified Library Ribbon Cutting - Greening Gwinnett

Kudos to Giwnnett for building a LEED certified library. In fact, just building a library is a great thing. However, I'm wondering just how green the library actually is even with it's LEED certification. The WalkScore is a 48 which is car dependent and just looking at the satellite images of the location, that is probably generous. let's work on building green communities not just green buildings.  Notable quote: "89% of construction waste associated with this project was recycled and diverted from local area landfills."

Beyond

Housing Market Strengthens for Smart Growth: Dramatic New Data from the DC Areas - NRDC Switchboard

I was thinking about doing something like this with the real estate info that came out in the May edition of Atlanta Magazine. However, after looking at the numbers, it dawned on me that Atlantans don't get it yet. Additionally, Atlantans don't have enough smart growth options. Virtually all neighborhoods are still car dependent.  If there were any similarity to the data that Kaid Benefield presents in his blog, it would be that Atlantans congregate around schools and not transit and the home values would correlate accordingly.

LEED for Neighborhood Development Formally Launches to Promote Smart, Sustainable Land Use - NRDC Switchboard

This is a huge step in the right direction for sustainability in the design of new towns and neighborhoods.  A lot of effort was put into this by the US Green Building Council, Congress for the New Urbanism, the Natural Resources Defense Council and others.  As part of the pilot program, 68 projects were certified nationwide as of March 2010.  Kaid Benefield consistently emphasizes that 50% of the buildings that we will have in 25 years have not been built yet.  That is why it is so important to get these new certifications in place.  One criticism that has been put forth is that the new system is too numbers based.

Who's to Blame for our Crumbling Roads & Bridges? Democracy, for One - The Infrastructurist

Crumbling infrastructure is a major problem. It is great to see that someone is bringing this to the forefront.  I initially found it interesting that the study blames democracy for the issues. However, this Notable Quote might clear up the headline: "Political forces often undermine a strong commitment to maintenance: Members of Congress, state legislators and local politicians thrive on ribbon-cuttings. Powerful special interests push for new and bigger highways. Meanwhile, federal and state policies – which should provide strong guidance in the wise use of taxpayer dollars – often fail to achieve the proper balance between building new infrastructure and taking care of what we already have built."

Court Battle in WA: Do 'Highway Purposes' Include Rail Lines? - The Infrastructurist

This is one that I ponder every time I drive up GA 400 between Buckhead and just south of the Glenridge Connector.  I see those MARTA tracks sandwiched between the northbound and southbound lanes and wonder why we haven't built more transit lines on the same corridors as our highways.  It only makes sense to me.  It would be pretty sweet to see the train extend all the way up 400 to Windward.  That's not gonna happen though.

Brookings Report: "Bright Flight" Transforming Cities & Suburbs - Worldchanging.com

This is a worthwhile post to peruse.  It makes you wonder where we are headed.  We can sometimes see the general direction but it is impossible to see the exact destination.  Notable quote: "The rate of poverty is rising five times faster in the suburbs than in cities."

Walkability 101-B, or why it's Good to be Connected - NRDC Switchboard

Great quick read on the dilemma that is posed by our dendritic street networks.  It makes the case that crappy street patterns and urban planning not only waste time but discourage interaction among neighbors. Notable quote: "Residents in metro Seattle areas with the most interconnected streets were found to travel 26% fewer vehicle miles than those in areas with many cul-de-sacs."

Image Courtesy of Fracker23 @ Flickr

Just How Big is the Spill?

I grew up on the gulf coast in Biloxi and Pensacola and know just how beautiful the sandy beaches and blue waters of the gulf can be. It pains me to see this oil spill destroying such a beautiful part of our country. I hope this will serve as a wake up call for many that we need to quickly work toward increasing the share of alternative forms of fuel in our transportation fleet. Additionally, I hope this will encourage less sprawl oriented development around our country. I have been skeptical of the 'official' reports of the flow rate since day one so I started looking around a little bit for other estimates. Some of them are downright scary and by all means catastrophic. I found this widget on the web and thought I'd post it. Not everyone in Roswell or Atlanta has a direct connection to the gulf but if you eat seafood, you will soon find out just how big your connection is. We sure do hope that BPs efforts tomorrow to plug this leak work.

New Urban Roswell Update

We found more than a few news items of note over the past couple of weeks from Roswell, around town and even outside the country.

Roswell

Roswell to Begin State Road 9 Improvements - AJC

The project has begun. We noticed the big orange barrels on our commute to work yesterday and we are excited to see the work begin. The work will progress in quarter mile increments and will begin at Norcross Street. This will really help change the face of the Roswell midtown area.

Legislature Passes Transportation Bill - ABC

This wasn't my favorite solution but it is a step in the right direction. MARTA will probably still have to make cuts this summer and we won't see any actual projects completed using the potential penny sales tax until 2014.

Sales of Foreclosures in North Fulton Increase: So What? - Live in Alpharetta

I'm not sure that I wholly agree with this post but I do agree that home prices in North Fulton are unlikely to see a wholesale decrease in values. The data is still deeply concerning and does not give any indication to me at least that the credit crisis is letting up. As the stimulus money begins to run out this quarter, I expect to see a dip back into recession territory. Also, the fact that Georgia was the sixth worst state came as no surprise but is disconcerting nonetheless.

Harry's Finds More Fresh Produce - NorthFulton.com

Harry's is now the drop off point for the Dunwoody Green Market CSA. We now have two CSA dropoffs here in Roswell with the other being the Local Food Stop dropoff at Market Street Antiques and Unitarian Universalist Church on Wed and Thurs respectively.

Roswell, Alpharetta Going Green - NorthFulton.com

This is a great article on Roswell and Alpharetta's green efforts. With Roswell being the only city in the state (to date) to achieve a Silver rating for the ARC's Green Communities initiative, it is obvious that the city is doing many things right. From parks, trails, water management, community outreach, tree protection and recycling, the city has really done a lot of good.

Metro

Big Creek Greenway Gets $1.5M Extension

This is great news for the big creek greenway. It will be incredible when it connects to the Forsyth portion. Now, let's see what the plan is for Roswell to extend the greenway further south.

Atlanta Receives Earth Day Brownfields Award from EPA to Support Beltline in Atlanta - EPA

This was a great announcement. Especially given the lack of funds that Atlanta or the state received from the stimulus package. There are 950 brownfield properties within Atlanta and 136 of those are along the Beltline.

Transit Cuts are Protested in Atlanta - NY Times

I thought it would be nice to get a little outside perspective on this. A third of the MARTA of buses and trains have had big red X's painted over them to signify that those are buses or trains that will be cut soon. We can only hope that cuts can be avoided. Unfortunately, it doesn't look that way. This article is rather pointed and doesn't mince words.

Reporter Asks "What Crosswalk?" - PEDS

I couldn't agree more with PEDS on this one. They wanted to point out that all too often, pedestrians are found at fault in traffic incidents while the bigger question of why did the pedestrian feel that they needed to act in an unsafe manner goes unanswered. Kudos to this reporter and to PEDS for posting this.

City Hall East Property Has New Suitor - ABC

Now that the beltline park in the fourth ward is underway, this purchase was bound to happen. The building should make an awesome mixed use office/residential complex if done right. There is a lot of potential here and I'm excited to see what it will become.

Compost Bins, Rain Barrels to be Distributed in Alpharetta - AJC

Unfortunately, I don't need these right now. The city will be selling Earth Machine backyard compost bins. Bins and rain barrels will be sold for $45 and $55 on a first-come-first-served basis.

Beyond

Would Streetcars in DC Spoil the City's Vistas - Washington Post

I completely agree that overhead wires look bad. I hate utility wires of all kinds. The technology does exist to make streetcars run without those ugly overhead wires. I just hope they aren't making perfect the enemy of good here. Streetcars definitely have a place and serve a great purpose.

New CDC Report Tells How to Design Communities to Support Good Health - PR-USA.net

The report in discussion works to illustrate the need to consider physical activity, respiratory and mental health, water quality, social equity and healthy aging when designing communities and the built environment. The CDC is looking to bring different diciplines together to work together to design the built environment in a more effective manner.

Upcoming Events

Congress for the New Urbanism - 5.19 - 5.22 - The most influential minds in the new urbanist movement will be here in Atlanta for the 18th congress. The theme this year is Rx for Healthy Places and is a joint effort with the CDC.

Go Wild in Roswell - 5.20 - 6.6 - This is a citywide celebration of nature that will feature different events on different days. Check out the link for details.

Atlanta Streets Alive - 5.23 - This one is still a little while away but it is a really interesting concept.

New Urban Roswell Update

We've got a few news items of note this week from Roswell, around town and even outside the country.

Roswell

One large item to report here in Roswell from earlier this month is the groundbreaking of the midtown streetscape improvement project.  We haven't seen anything of note just yet but we can't wait to see the finished product in a year or so.

Milton County: Not This Year - NorthFulton.com - Personally, I'm not in favor of seceding from Fulton county.  I just don't personally feel that it's necessary.  I actually feel that if anything, there should be more county consolidation in the metro area.  The paying more tax for fewer benefits just doesn't resonate with me.  How many states should cut ties with the federal government under that argument. 

Metro

We were happy to see some progress on the Beltline this week.  

Second Portion of Beltline Complete - wsbradio.com - Another segment of the Beltline trail opened this weekend. From what we can tell, it looks very professional and it should be a symbol to people that the Beltline will actually happen.

Dunwoody Envisions Significant Mixed Use Development - Champion Newspaper - This is more of a 20 year vision but it is promising nonetheless.  

MARTA Faces Drastic Cuts - Creative Loafing - Can someone please do something about this?  It's not looking good for a transportation bill under the gold dome for the third consecutive year.  I think we can all agree that cutting MARTA train and bus service on Fridays would be bad for the local economy and bad for everyone's car commutes.  

Beyond

Mindspring Founder Takes New Urbanist Movement to Costa Rica - InsideCostaRica.com - Charles Brewer is nothing short of bold.  His development in south Atlanta, Glenwood Park, has won national acclaim and is truly a great accomplishment.  If you haven't seen it, you should take an opportunity to drive down and grab a bite to eat and walk through the neighborhood.  

Upcoming Events

Alive After Five- 4.15 - This year's Alive After Five season kicks off on tax day.  

Good Urbanism 101 - 4.15 - 5.4 - This is an educational event sponsored by the Georgia Conservancy.  There are six classes on quality urban design.  The course costs $200.

Dogwood Festival - 4.16 - 4.18 - The annual Dogwood Festival will be held in Piedmont Park.  This one is always a safe bet for a good time and you can appreciate Atlanta's largest park.

Inman Park Festival - 4.24 - 4.25 - The Inman Park Festival is Atlanta's largest festival.  We love this festival for many reasons but the fact that it is in the beautiful walkable neighborhood of Inman Park is probably the number one reason.  Inman Park is one of the few neighborhoods in Atlanta that exhibits many of New Urbanist characteristics.  Be sure to take MARTA if you go.

Congress for the New Urbanism - 5.19 - 5.22 - The most influential minds in the new urbanist movement will be here in Atlanta for the 18th congress.  The theme this year is Rx for Healthy Places and is a joint effort with the CDC.

Go Wild in Roswell - 5.20 - 6.6 - This is a citywide celebration of nature that will feature different events on different days.  Check out the link for details.

Atlanta Streets Alive - 5.23 - This one is still a little while away but it is a really interesting concept.  

Earth Day is Coming Up

Earth Day is on the 22nd.  This is actually the 40th anniversary of the holiday.  There will be a number of festivals around town to commemorate the occasion.  Here's a good selection:

Roswell

Captain Planet Earth Day Kids Fest @ The Chattahoochee Nature Center - 4.17 10am - 3pm - This is a great family event hosted by the Chattahoochee Nature Center right here in Roswell.  There will be many activities and hands on exhibits for kids.  Admission is $5 for kids and $8 for adults.  

Earth Day Conservation Giveaway @ City Hall - 4.22 4pm - 630pm - The city is partnering with Keep Roswell Beautiful to encourage residents to be more water friendly.  They will be giving away water conservation kits that include aerators, low flow shower heads, leak detectors and toilet tank water savers.  

Green Day Extravaganza @ Harry's Farmers Market - 4.24 12pm - 4pm - This is a free event at Harry's Farmers Market here in Roswell.  Learn about rain barrels, composting, community gardening and more.  There will be hamburgers and hot dogs as well.  

Around Town

Earth Day Decatur Festival & Parade - 4.18 - Check out the Oakhurst Community Garden website for details.  

Earth Share Georgia's Earth Day Party on Land - 4.21 7pm @ Opera - This is a fund raising charity event that Earth Share Georgia holds each year.  It is a great event bringing together hundreds of activists, philanthropists and business professionals.  Tickets to the event are $50.

Earth Day @ Atlantic Station - 4.22 - 11am - 3pm - One of the best examples of Smart Growth in the south has its own Earth Day festival in the Central Park area.  Vendors, exhibitors and others will be on hand to help attendees learn about living a greener more sustainable lifestyle.  

Georgia Tech Earth Day Celebration - 4.23 - 10am - 2pm - This is actually one of the southeast's largest Earth Day celebrations.  They are expecting about 3,000 attendees.  Over 70 exhibitors will be on hand.

Earth Day Celebration @ The Georgia Aquarium - 4.24 - The Georgia Aquarium is actually having a week long celebration but will cap it off on the 24th with an all day event.  There will be a green scavenger hunt, interactive storytelling and arts & crafts.  Standard aquarium admission applies.

New Urban Roswell Update

We're starting something new this week.  Our weekly post will take on a similar format as our old Peach Bites posts.  We will round up news related to new urbanism, smart growth and in some cases, green living from Roswell, Atlanta and beyond.  We are going through a backlog of news stories that we have accumulated over the past several months so please bear with us while we catch up.

Roswell

One large item to report here in Roswell from earlier this month is the groundbreaking of the midtown streetscape improvement project.  We haven't seen anything of note just yet but we can't wait to see the finished product in a year or so.

Sandy Springs, Roswell Eyeing New Bridge

This would be a big win for both communities. I'm hoping that Sandy Springs will kick in their half as their community will benefit from the bridge.

Roswell OKs Barrington Hall Stairway

I live in the mill neighborhood and see Barrington Hall every day. This will be a great addition to that well traveled intersection. It will bring more attention to the historic building and hopefully it will result in the city putting in sidewalks along the west side of 9 and the south side of 120 so that pedestrians will actually be able to get to the stairs.

Metro

There have been a few stories of note recently in Atlanta.  It's exciting that virtually all potential development these days has some sort of new urbanist, smart growth or TOD characteristics.  

GM Plant in Doraville Becomes Mixed Use Development - Atlanta Real Estate Forum

This could be huge. I'd wouldn't be surprised if it becomes something similar to an Atlantic Station on the north side of the city. One thing that makes it even better is the easy accessibility to MARTA. This is a great opportunity to showcase new urbanism concepts on a large scale in a part of the city where people will take notice. What a relief that a stadium isn't going in here.

Atlanta startup, Ridecell, on the move - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

Just another great way to use your mobile phone. Now if MARTA could just do something to entice regular people to ride the bus.

Beyond

CDC: People in sunny states happiest, New York least - USATODAY.com

I find it interesting that all of our neighboring states can be ranked so highly while we're coming in at 19. Florida #3, Tennessee #4, Alabama #9 and SC higher than us. What does that say about life in Atlanta?

Georgia Cities Vie for Google - GPB.org

This would certainly be an interesting move by Google. Three Georgia cities are in the running; Decatur, Savannah and Peachtree City. Wishful thinking that Roswell would be one of those three. I'm actually surprised that one of the North Fulton cities isn't in the running given the money that resides in the area.

Inspired Ethonomics: Portland, a Global Model of Transit-Oriented Development - Fast Company

I love the quick hit on TOD in this article. The point that you never want to design a city for one type of person is very important. You want young people, families and retirees of all ethnic backgrounds to be able to live in your community. A diverse community, just like a diverse ecosystem, is a healthy one.

Events

Alive After Five- 4/15 - This year's Alive After Five season kicks off on tax day.  

Dogwood Festival - 4/16 - 4/18 - The annual Dogwood Festival will be held in Piedmont Park.  This one is always a safe bet for a good time and you can appreciate Atlanta's largest park.

Inman Park Festival - 4/24 - 4/25 - The Inman Park Festival is Atlanta's largest festival.  We love this festival for many reasons but the fact that it is in the beautiful walkable neighborhood of Inman Park is probably the number one reason.  Inman Park is one of the few neighborhoods in Atlanta that exhibits many of New Urbanist characteristics.  Be sure to take MARTA if you go.   

Go Wild in Roswell - 5/20 - 6/6 - This is a citywide celebration of nature that will feature different events on different days.  Check out the link for details.

Atlanta Streets Alive - 5/23 - This one is still a little while away but it is a really interesting concept.