Quote:
Originally Posted by Omaharocks
Martinman, much of what Street Advocate describes are very basic urban design principles that have been proven to have merit even in urban core settings like Midtown and Downtown. Unfortunately they are rarely applied in Atlanta, but they should be considered absolutely essential in this context, where building 18 story buildings will contribute nothing to the walkability, tree canopy, or overall livability along Ponce/Glen Iris/North. It also sets a bad precedent for the scale of buildings along the Beltline and as Street Advocate mentions, continues the inward-focus of so many of Atlanta's major developments. Atlanta doesn't need anymore high-rise zones, it needs to continue filling those that already exist.
As was mentioned in another thread, we need to beat the drum for more developments like 764 Memorial - appropriately scaled, with quality materials.
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Actually, the precedent for buildings of this scale along the Beltline has already been set.
http://725ponce.com.
Whether a building is a highrise or not is irrelevant to its street presence. Thats just a matter of its design. We have plenty of mid-rise buildings with a terrible street presence. I agree 100% that the Atlanta needs more mid-rise and small-scale infill and better planning overall but not to the exclusion of higher density where it's appropriate. I feel it is appropriate here at the junction of two future LR lines and two major roads but I actually don't care whether it is 18 stories or five stories as long as it's a walkable development.
Based on their track record, I happen to have a high degree of confidence that this developer will deliver a product that in fact
does contribute to the walkability of Glen Iris and North Avenue. I'm actually at a loss as to how this particular development is inward focused when it appears to have retail/active uses along both streets.