There are some things I really like about this project, and others I like less.
The strong points: Re-using underutilized space to create the public transportation corridor necessary for making central Atlanta easier to navigate without vehicles. This is obviously huge in a city like Atlanta.
I also appreciate the need for recreation areas (which they refer to as green spaces) and I love how they connect these two things together.
What a great addition to a city: having some of your most important green spaces completely accessible by public transit (and a light-rail train, to boot!).
Weak points: It doesn’t look to me like the question of biodiversity and/or urban agriculture is getting much attention in this project.
For a city like Atlanta, it is of course important to get more parks for kids, and open spaces for playing soccer, etc. There is certainly a need to add this to their system.
But, given the scope of the project, and the lack of natural areas and areas for growing food in Atlanta, I think it would be a serious oversight to not give some space over to biodiversity and agriculture.
The transit is great. The connections are great. But if all that comes with it is aphalt paths for cycling, lawn and maybe some jungle gyms … then I think they’ve set their sights too low.
They do get credit for combining a bunch of elements any great city needs. But this video making me think they are simply catching up with other advanced cities. And the great cities of the next generation are currently focused on how biodiversity and agriculture can fit into their new normal.
