The weather is warming up and the sunsets are getting later! March has arrived and it’s time to get outside. The Urban Connector monthly newsletter looks back on the best of the previous month as well as ways to get involved in the coming month.
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February Content
Feb 10th – Downtown Atlanta Ride Along
Ride along as I cruise Downtown Atlanta after dark.
Feb 24th – InPhilDesigns – Transformations Block by Block
Concept plan to add a mix of infill housing types to an emerging Downtown.
A collection of articles and ideas to transform communities by adding varied housing types.
Things to Know – Raleigh
| Date | Event | Notes |
| 3/5 | City Council Meeting | 1:00 PM & 7:00 PM |
| 3/7 | Raleigh Forward MeetUp – Alamo Drafthouse | 7:00 PM |
| 3/12 | Planning Commission | 9:00 AM |
| 3/12 | City Council Meeting | 4:00 PM & 7:00 PM |
| 3/15 | District A Affordable Housing Town Hall – 4201 Green Rd | 7:00 PM |
| 3/18 | BPAC Meeting | 6:00 PM |
| 3/19 | City Council Meeting | 1:00 PM |
| 3/26 | Planning Commission | 9:00 AM |
Things to Know – Atlanta
| Date | Event | Notes |
| 3/4 | City Council Meeting | 1:00 PM |
| 3/11 | Zoning Committee | 11:00 AM |
| 3/13 | Transportation Committee | 10:00 AM |
| 3/18 | City Council Meeting | 1:00 PM |
| 3/25 | Zoning Committee | 11:00 AM |
| 3/27 | Transportation Committee | 11:00 AM |
| 3/29 | Critical Mass Ride – Woodruff Park | 6:00 PM |
Developments that excited me
The Downtown Raleigh Alliance has released Part 1 of the Economic Development Strategy which focuses on activating Fayetteville Street. There are some big ideas to transform North Carolina’s Main Street to transform it to somewhere people want to be!
More infill near the Southeast Beltline Trail! Toll Brothers has released initial plans for their new neighborhood in Chosewood Park which includes condos. This joins Empire’s Zephyr community, Englewood, Boulevard Park renovation, and more as developments in the area. Maybe one day the prison land can become a neighborhood too. When we look back a decade from now, this segment of Beltline adjacent neighborhoods may be more cohesive and livable than the Eastside.
This nearly all-affordable community in the West End is nearly complete.
Direct, safe bike access along Memorial Drive to and from Downtown and Reynoldstown, coming soon! I can’t wait for this one. Connected and protected facilities in and out of Downtown is high on my World Cup wish list (coming soon!)
The first segment of trail to link the Beltline to the Silver Comet Trail has broken ground.
Out with parking minimums near the Atlanta Beltline and No Turn on Red is no more in Downtown! Major props to Atlanta Councilmember Jason Dozier for being on the forefront of making both of these happen.
I’m sure this newsletter will evolve as time goes on. Comments or suggestions? Let me know!
Phil Veasley is a Professional Engineer working to design safer multimodal infrastructure in cities throughout the US. My goal is to create cites that are safe and effective for all people to move about outside of cars. To achieve that we have to focus on creating equitable, dense, and vibrant cities full of walkable neighborhoods with a various mix of housing choices, schools, restaurants, and services. We cannot have safe multimodal infrastructure without the density to support it and we cannot have equitable density without safe multimodal infrastructure. Outside of designing safe streets, my passions are sketching ideas for infill neighborhoods, floor plans, urban photography, and exploring our cities on foot or bike. Please check out the menus above for all of my ideas and also check out my YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter accounts.
Opinions and insights are my own and are not representative of my employer or any organization.
Phil Veasley 
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