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Old Posted Sep 2, 2007, 6:09 PM
smArTaLlone smArTaLlone is offline
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Join Date: Feb 2005
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Terminus View Post
What are some other projects that you consider to be new urbanist here?

There are several pure ones: Glenwood Park, Vickery, Woodstock, Seven Norcross, Inman Park Village/Dynamic Metals, Serenbe, Manget in Marietta, and a few others, but most are what I would consider hybrids in that they take elements of NU (e.g. compact development patterns), but then fail miserably in other parts (e.g. complexity of buildings, street types, and use).

Some hybrids, IMO, include Atlantic Station, Smyrna, Ridenour, Tributary, Lindbergh MARTA area, etc. Due to a variety of reasons, including land costs, market conditions, designer skills, and local zoning, these projects were not able to achieve the key principles established by the Charter for the New Urbanism. They are, of course, important projects, and are much better than what would have otherwise been built.

My firm designed Glenwood Park, and we are extremely pleased with the outcome. Unfortunately, the developer of it (Green Street) has found it very challening to create a similar project in the city due to rising land costs. People don't realize that intown land costs are so high that you are pretty much forced to go with less desirable materials and building forms to make the numbers work.

In fact, Charles Brewer second project is a large one we're working on in Central America. I doubt we'll see him involved in anything else in Atlanta, because the 3 to 4 story urbanism he loves (like Glenwood Park) is just a financial looser in the center city. Those that can succeed in these market condtions are companies like Lane, Urban Realty, Integral, etc, who focus on a slightly higher density product.

I was actually hoping he would focus on a slightly higher density project. I think something with buildings in the 5-12 story range could be just as sucessful as GP with just as much character.
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