Is anyone wealthy enough to be attending the Congress for New Urbanism* gathering this week? If so, is it truly “plannerlicious,” as one friend so vulgarly put it when describing the David Byrne “thing“?
What about this video, possibly financed by the Glenwood Park developers as propaganda, and definitely put together by a sprightly and tech-savvy group of new urbanists?**
a) Can we really call it a “makeover” in this day and age without Nick Arrojo cutting off some guy’s ponytail or giving a mousy gal caramel highlights?
b) Hmmm….sounds an awful lot like…….old urbanism. I mean, aren’t all those appealing traits of new Glenwood Park the same things you’d find in any old intown neighborhood? I love this about my elderly part of town – walking everywhere, running into people – although the downside is being recognized by a fanatical reader while trying to sneak away, unshowered, from a particularly empty-carb-dense brunch. You men can’t just come running up to me in broad daylight wearing tight seersucker trousers! It’s unseemly! I am a married woman and a pillar in this community!
But seriously, someone teach these new urbanists what adaptive reuse means, at least until CNU takes a well-defined stance against EIFS. Also, teach them there isn’t one single solution for every problem.
Anyway, if you really want to get down and dirty with Atlanta, ignore the previous video (and this one, too) and watch watch Steve and Drew’s Better Know a Neighborhood videos, which I guess will be shown at CNU?? I wouldn’t know!
Old Fourth Ward and Inman Park are my faves!! And someone please pay Steve $$$$$$$ so he can keep making these for every single one of Atlanta’s 3,000 neighborhoods!
*If you really want to know what I think of new urbanism, or at least as it pertains to Atlanta and this “healthy places” theme, I will have to tell you privately! Don’t want to bore the others!
**I realize in many circles, “developers” is a slur. Not in this case – I really like the idea of Glenwood Park, and I think the world of their intentions when building that development! Will it be a long-term success in Atlanta, though? Only time will tell!
Tags: glenwood park, new urbanism
Last year I accosted Thomas Wheatley in jorts at a sushi restaurant. Consider yourself lucky, Missus.
Maybe Renewed Urbanism would be a more apt name for this movement?
And finally, the Better Know a Neighborhood videos are super. Though frankly I would consider screening the Virginia-Highland one at next year’s NIMBY Awards.
The history of Va-Hi is the history of the Mix 841.
I went to a free day of events at CNU and had a good time. I learned some lingo, realized that the urbanists have to live their life selling in the a political realm and living in a very long term horizons. They appreciate the ironies of it all such as calling it “new.” A review/critique of their bus tour of 9 developments starting at Seaside and ending Serenbe was very interesting for me and for the CNU folks.
I didn’t see Mr. Byrne and preferred his early funny movies anyway. (see Stardust Memories)
But Farmer D was there.
I took a few pictures. http://www.flickr.com/photos/terrykearns/sets/72157623979943295/
All seem like normal carbon based lifeforms. They really enjoyed working on projects that people really enjoyed.