August is here, school is back, and the weather somehow thinks it’s November!
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. Please make sure you sign up below to have these delivered straight to your inbox and follow on YouTube, Twitter, BlueSky Social, and Instagram.
July Content
Choseline
An idea to transform an underutilized BeltLine adjacent parcel into a thriving mixed-use hub.
Atlanta BeltLine Westside Trail Ride Along
Ride along the newest section of BeltLine trail creating a cohesive Westside connection.
Suburban Spotlight – Alpharetta
Dive into the North metro’s premier suburb.
Centennial Yards July Drone Tour
Y’all, it’s getting real!
Urban Thoughts: Too small for an article, too big to miss
BeltLine Rain
Ever been on the BeltLine on a rainy day? Outside of a few brave runners, it’s a ghost town! This is one of my main confusions about people who say we don’t need rail. Rail would give users of all ages and abilities access to the greatness of the corridor during all weather. Another thing I’m curious about is how much less money all those business owners who somehow think rail would kill their business make on these rainy days.
Atlanta Shrinking?!
An article is getting a lot of attention the last few weeks about Atlanta’s growth streak being over. Many are running with it and making some very hot (BAD) takes. Let’s slow down though – it’s one year of data. If it was really just due to affordability, traffic, lack of transit, and sprawl, then every single Sun Belt city would be shrinking too. One could say we’re actually set up better on a few of those fronts than our peers. I’m going to chalk it up to a one-year blip. If there was a clear trend, or if it continues next year, then we’ll talk. Until then, relax. PS, we’re not full – not even close.
Park Size
Size is overrated when it comes to parks. We constantly point to the size of S.C. Franklin Park (Westside Park) but fail to mention how disconnected from residential neighborhoods and how desolate it can feel. I much prefer some of our great neighborhood parks like Lang-Carson in Reynoldstown. To each their own though!
Photos of the Month
Developments that Excited Me
Tyler Perry Entertianment District – I’ll believe it when I see it, but if it does happen it’ll be so much better than what’s there now. I still can’t help but think of how much we fumbled an opportunity for this to be a truly special redevelopment site like Baldwin Park in Orlando, Mueller in Austin, Stapleton in Denver or other airfield / base sites.
GoogleMaps
The Center – I think this one is flying under the radar a bit in terms of impact it’ll have.
Georgia Tech: Multimodal Capital of the South – Georgia Tech’s campus continues to serve as a shining example of how great street design can be. I’ll definitely be planning another full ride-through again soon. ICYMI, check out my ride along from when things were still in-progress a few months ago.
Get Involved, Atlanta!
| Date | Event | Notes |
| 8/4 | City Council | 1:00 PM |
| 8/11 | Zoning Committee | 10:00 AM |
| 8/13 | Transportation Committee | 10:00 AM |
| 8/18 | City Council | 1:00 PM |
| 8/25 | Zoning Committee | 10:00 AM |
| 8/27 | Transportation Committee | 10:00 AM |
| 9/2-9/6 | City Council | 1:00 PM |
Raleigh folks, I miss y’all! Make sure you’re keeping up to date with the great people at Raleigh Forward, WakeUP, Oaks and Spokes, NC Housing Table, and The Downtown Raleigh Community.
What I’m working on this month (and probably late
- Updates to earlier drawings of the Reconnecting Communities sketches
- More suburban spotlights
- InPhil Designs ideas
- Urban Thoughts – Cities: Chicago, Providence, Orlando
I’m sure this newsletter will evolve as time goes on. Comments or suggestions? Let me know!
Phil Veasley is a Professional Engineer and CNU-Accredited Professional member working to design safer multimodal infrastructure in cities throughout the US.
My goal is to create cities 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, BlueSky Social, and Twitter accounts.
Opinions and insights are my own and are not representative of my employer or any organization.
Phil Veasley 