Sanity has prevailed
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, Substack, Twitter, BlueSky Social, and Instagram.
October Content
West Peachtree Street Bike Lane Ride Along
Atlanta BeltLine Northwest Trail Blandtown Segment Construction Progress Drone Tour
Photos of the Month
Urban Thoughts
Beyond the Results – Obviously, what happened Tuesday was a big sigh of relief for many. But beyond the big results, a number of regions passed big housing and transit initiatives. The political environment may also become less hostile toward safe infrastructure modes again. Good times, let’s get to work!
Fence Gate – Atlanta Housing is building a great mixed-income neighborhood in Chosewood Park with nearly 900 units of affordable housing, some retail, for-sale units, and a beautiful water feature and greenspace in the middle!
Next door, Empire Homes is building a 600-unit, for-sale market-rate townhome development (at one point, it was a 900+ unit mix of townhomes, condos, apartments, and even a rumored Publix, which is a different story for a different day).
There’s a new roadway connection between the two neighborhoods that was built all the way to the property lines of both parcels. While the greenspace and first apartment building were under construction, there was a construction fence in place, which made sense. But now, seemingly all of a sudden, construction has wrapped up, the roads fronting Englewood have opened, and a seemingly permanent fence has been erected between the two parcels, complete with a lock on the pedestrian gate.
This is a vital connection between Zephyr and the Englewood parcel, providing direct access for hundreds of neighbors to reach Chosewood Park, which is also undergoing a massive expansion of its trail network and connections after years of fundraising efforts.
Beyond being bad urban design to separate what was purposely designed as a connected street grid, it’s just flat-out wrong to cut off two cohesively designed neighborhoods and force a long detour for families walking to the park, children commuting to school, and everyone else who would benefit from this connection.
I’m not buying the excuse that it’s just another construction gate and that the greenspace “isn’t finished.” The other construction gates have been removed, and let’s be real, construction gates don’t typically get a black finish and get drilled into the ground like this, especially after temporary gates had been in place for years.
Let’s hope Empire and/or Atlanta Housing do the right thing. We’ve been waiting years for this connection.
YIMBYTown – YIMBYTown is coming to Raleigh in a few weeks! There’s still time to get tickets. While I won’t make it to the actual conference, I’ll be in town during parts of it and hope to see you all!
Developments that Excited Me
Boulevard: We’ve got ramps, we’ve got crossings, we’ve got bike lane protection, we’ve got bus boarding islands, we’ve got the sidewalk connection – things are looking good! Paving has even started North of the BeltLine now too. I wish we were getting the bike lane all the way to Memorial, but as expected lanes couldn’t be sacrificed by the highway. Regardless, this has been a life-changing connection for my daily biking, walking, and jogging needs.
Infill Station Progress?! – It’s just the start and a scoping study but it’s good to see some progress on the Murphy Crossing Infill Station idea. Urbanize
GuildHouse – I’ve been watching this one for years, if fully realized this project will fill a large gap between West Midtown and the emerging density out toward the Publix and the river. Urbanize
ART Lines – It’s not the sexiest transit project, but the Arterial Rapid Transit or super lite BRT lines will make a huge impact in South Atlanta. Urbanize
Bowen Homes – The long-awaited redevelopment of the former Bowen Homes site is well underway. I need to swing out there with the drone and check it out! Really hoping this one stays on track and jump starts enough energy (and Microsoft sells the rest of their land to someone who will actually build something!!!) to get a full-service grocer and more services out that way. Urbanize
Lakewood Heights Elementary – I can’t wait until this one comes online! The historic former school will be transformed into housing and retail. I’ve got some ideas for the broader surrounding too that I’ll be wrapping up soon. Urbanize
Get Involved, Atlanta!
| Date | Event | Notes |
| 11/9 | Transportation Committee | 10:00 AM |
| 11/16 | City Council | 1:00 PM |
| 10/23 | Transportation Committee | 10:00 AM |
| 10/23 | Zoning Committee | 11:00 AM |
| 12/7 | Full 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 later)
- More suburban spotlights
- InPhil Designs ideas
- Urban Thoughts – Cities: Chicago, Orlando, Nashville, London
I’m sure this newsletter will evolve as time goes on. Comments or suggestions? Let me know!
I’ll be reposting my favorite ideas to date plus all new content over on Substack! As always, everything will remain free so hop on over and subscribe!
Phil Veasley, PE, CNU-A, The Urban Connector, is a Professional Engineer with Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates focused on creating safer, more vibrant cities through strategic multimodal infrastructure design. With expertise spanning traffic analysis, hand sketching, conceptual design, and full construction documentation, he thrives on transforming roads into great streets where people of all ages and abilities can flourish. Based in Atlanta, Phil is a passionate advocate for walkable, dense, and equitable neighborhoods. Outside of work, his passion is exploring urban life through sketching infill ideas and navigating cities primarily by bike or foot. His on-the-ground perspective informs his professional work, helping him design transportation systems that are not only functional but also people-centered and inspiring. Phil brings both technical depth and a city lover’s enthusiasm to every project, drawing on the belief that infrastructure and urban form must go hand in hand to support vibrant, inclusive communities where everyone has access to opportunity and quality of life.
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Opinions and insights are my own and are not representative of my employer or any organization.
