About Flagpole. (Athens, Ga.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (May 11, 2011)
WHAT'S UP IN NEW DEVELOPMENT The Banner-Heralcf s recent discovery of and fascination with Professor Jack Crowley's light-rail concept for Athens after a recent transportation forum is an interesting turn in the local planning conversation. Disregarding that that paper is only reporting this idea as headline news three-and-a-half years after we first broke the story, it is great to see a con cept as compelling as this begin to gain trac tion. The idea of transforming the little-used rail line through campus to transit service is a great vision for this community; what is it about that idea that finally allowed it to cut through the chatter? In the same way, what is it about the River District proposal, which first came to light a few short months ago, that has resonated so strongly that it is described with near inevitability by so many around town? Really, these are questions of vision, and it's worth asking why this city has for so long been unable to author any compelling plan for its own future. There are numerous city planning documents floating around, like the Future Land Use Map, the Greenway Network Plan, and the Service Delivery Plan for infra structure like sewer lines. The school district is another major player, as are transporta tion officials at local, regional (MACORTS) and state levels. However, none of these plans has captured the imagination of the public with nearly as much success as ideas like Crowley's. Why not? The visions that resonate most are the ones that cut across those government silos to produce integrated concepts about what the future looks and feels like. To delve a little more deeply into Crowley's vision for local passenger rail, the concept also calls for transit-oriented villages studded along the rail line south of town, feeding people from those walkable nodes into the urban core, while pre serving rural land farther out and between sta tions. What umbrella would such a concept fall under in order to be successfully executed? Is it a planning initiative, a transit one or some thing else? The Greenway, even though governed by a Greenway Commission and the Greenway Network Plan, ought to be a fairly cross- disciplinary affair, but it is to some degree siloed within the Leisure Services depart ment, missing many of the opportunities that Greenway infrastructure presents beyond rec reation. The Greenway vision, like Crowley's, could provide a framework for growth and conservation across the county, dovetailing with the concepts like walkability and urban infill espoused in documents like the Future Land Use map. However, even the Planning Department has to some degree become a silo unto itself, focused on managing zoning, rather than being a coordinating entity. It's worth comparing the two major forces in this community—ACC and UGA—and how their respective planning processes allow for visioning and planning to unfold. In the case of UGA, there is a pretty clear and compre hensible vision for the campus, which calls for a contiguous walkable network of quads and greenspaces, framed by architecturally consis tent structures, generally red brick and with Classical lines. Regardless of whether or not you agree with the general aesthetic of the campus, the consistency in terms of execution is certainly a compelling example of effective visioning, and it may contain elements that could translate well to the city's execution of a vision for itself. The university's campus vision also reflects the values of that institu tion, and it's worth ask ing what exactly Athens' plans and visions (or lack thereof) say about the community and its values. Another noteworthy aspect of the univer sity's planning efforts is the centralized nature of the planning. With almost everything pass ing through the campus architects' office, there is a great degree of continuity in the built environment. Consider this in contrast with ACCs misalignments between infrastructure and zoning, as evidenced by the Sandy Creek basin rezoning, or with schools built far into the greenbelt where no children could ever walk to them, or with the adopted plan for the Classic Center expansion, which proposes, among other things, a Walmart-sized loading dock that is totally incompatible with our own design guidelines. The private sectors of the design and plan ning fields have increasingly acknowledged that'the projects of the future will be com plicated, multi-disciplinary endeavors that touch on many diverse skill-sets and require holistic solutions to execute. Currently, our government is far too compartmentalized to successfully execute the complex projects that are already bearing down us. The Environmental Coordinator position is one example of how that inter-departmental collaboration is already being facilitated in Athens, but it's only a first step. Proposals like the River District have an uncertain ownership and status, and it's hard to determine where to put such visionary proposals in the existing governmental framework. Other, more progres sive communities have for decades made use of urban design centers and nonprofit devel opment corporations to push forward these projects in ways that municipal governments are ill-equipped to do, and it may be worth seriously considering how to create something like that here. Regaftiless, it's not a lack of good ideas that has stifled Athens, but sig nificant gaps in the planning structure that have held us back for so long. Kevan Williams athensrising@flagpole.com Infill standards talk about street frontage and continuous pedestrian experienc es. The Bob M. Snipes Water Resources Center is an example of a public building that doesn't follow those standards, creating a jarring moment in the city fabric. Half—pints Summer Camps “Half-pints can become artists at Pints and Paints.” Created lor artists of all ages and skill' levels Half-pipts Summer Camps ia June a July. 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