Ryan Gravel recently authored a piece for CNN.com that looks at the Atlanta BeltLine, and projects like it, and how they change people’s perceptions of the places in which they live, and want to live. His conclusion:
“…whether they look to district-scaled projects like the South Bronx Greenway in New York or Seoul’s Cheonggyecheon, or to city scaled projects like the Petite Ceinture or Madrid’s Calle-30, or to complex regional proposals like those for the Los Angeles River, cities can find innovative, non-partisan public works projects that not only begin the physical transformation required to attract future residents and jobs, but also catalyze a cultural shift in thinking about what kinds of policies and infrastructure we should be investing in. This cultural shift will mean far more for global sustainability than any physical project ever could.”
Only days later, the Wall Street Journal reported on some interesting new census data showing a higher rate of growth in cities vs. suburbs:
“According to Census data released Thursday, in 27 of the nation’s 51 largest metropolitan areas, city centers grew faster than suburbs between July 2010 and July 2011. By contrast, from 2000 to 2010 only five metro areas saw their cores grow faster than the surrounding suburbs.”
And yes, Atlanta is high on the list of cities’ growth outpacing their suburbs, with Atlanta growing at nearly double the rate of its suburbs.
(h/t Curbed Atlanta)
