Downtown Atlanta Narrative Analysis

Through a multitude of significant changes physically, conceptually, economically, and more, the societal reformation of cities in the Progressive Era had set themselves as the foundations of American civilization. The juxtaposition between the rich and poor statuses in these urban areas show the drastic separation within developing cities. Through this division caused a wide variety of living conditions, the majority of which held the overcrowded sections of cities where the population mostly stayed while the higher end communities had more luxurious lives. Through this success of entrepreneurship and economic growth from all aspects in cities, the entire landscape, both physically through innovative architecture and the perspectives outside rural and suburban areas had on them, had transformed for the better in these areas.

(Shultz, 2012) Living in the city was the most fashionable place to live during the middle of the 19th century. Merchants, Lawyers and manufacturers built substantial townhouses on the main though fares within walking distance of the docks, warehouses, offices, courts and shops where they worked. (Urbanization)

“Was the Antebellum South Antiurban? A Suggestion” relates to this course by showing the path, or struggle, of how the

As Urban renewal ramped up in the 1960’s sections of the inner city were torn down, which in turn

The period between the Civil War and the Great Depression was the most rapid period of urbanization in the nation’s history. During the late 1800’s the population expanded about four times in urban areas. Young reformers believed poverty could be alleviated with proper policy, focused assistance, and better government regulation. The efforts of these reformers would later be termed “progressivism,” and this period would become known as the “Progressive Era”. Negative consequences came of urbanization.

Charleston, South Carolina boasts a rich history. The city was founded in 1670 by English colonists and grew from a small to a prosperous seaport (Charleston, n.d.). The Civil War’s beginning was at Charleston’s Fort Sumter as Confederate soldiers fired upon Union soldiers in April of 1861 (Charleston, n.d.). The Civil War was difficult to recover from for Charleston, and in its rebuilding it focused on trade and industry (Charleston, n.d.). As time went by, Charleston was challenged with a “dying downtown and a crumbling urban housing stock” (Jackson & Sinclair, 2011, p. 80). In 1976, Mayor Joseph “Joe” Riley took office and was the catalyst in the rehabilitation of the city, making it one of the most beautiful American cities today (Jackson & Sinclair, 2011). This paper will summarize the case study of Charleston, South Carolina, which is segmented into four sections, the Symptoms, the Diagnosis, the Cure, and the Prevention.

During the era from the end of Reconstruction through 1900, the development of American cities radically altered the nation's social environment and problems. A vast majority of Americans relocated from rural areas to the city in pursuit of new economic opportunity and the promise of a more exciting life. The rapid development of an urban society transformed America. How people lived, what and how they ate, and how they took care of their health all changed. In spite of the period’s adherence to the beliefs of “Social Darwinism,” increasing numbers of Americans in fields that varied from religion and economics to politics, literature, and the law proposed the need for reforms.

The objective of this assignment was to understand how urban areas are subject to processes of change and to be familiar with as well as become accustom with the history of the space. The locale that I will be concentrating my research and observations on is Christie and Dupont and the decade I will compare and contrast is the 1910s. The location of Christie and Dupont is based in the Midwest part of the city’s downtown core; An intersection that has been in this city for over a century, this is one of the older areas in the city and has helped shape Toronto’s expanse downtown core. The intersection was recognized and named in honour of “The king of Cookies”, William Mellis Christie in 1861. Development went underway within the 1870s. Meanwhile,

New York in the 1920's: The time period of the 1920’s was widely known as an era of prosperity. It was also an era of contradictions for New York as a modern industrial city that, with engineering feats of such wonder, had conquered the sky and constructed a hidden network of underground power lines, sewer lines, and water lines. They also bridged the gap between the city's infrastructural capacity and its population then again widened. The city's roads did not keep up with the rapidly increasing popularity of the automobile.

In the 1920s, enormous cultural change was witnessed in the United States. It was a time of profound change and it is commonly referred to as Roaring Twenties. These historic changes began immediately after the World War I, which ended in 1918, since the United States emerged as the new world superpower. Therefore, the U.S. economy was booming. This was a dynamic decade that is mostly characterized by prosperity, leisure, technological advances, consumerism, and major shifts toward modern values.

Cate Thurston’s paper, “Bringing Back Broadway,” was a study of urban redevelopment in Los Angeles’ Broadway Corridor. Cate shared her research and analysis on why redevelopment was an important factor for various people, such as Ira Yellin, the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles, and Councilmember Jose Huizar. The reason why redevelopment was important for many people was because the city was changing and there was a need to drive tourists into the city. As more tourists visit Los Angeles, spending increases, thus, generating more prosperity and wealth. This paper also discussed why this particular neighborhood changed and why space changes over time in Los Angeles. Cate shared how the Broadway Corridor in the 19th and 20th

“America needs more people who like cities”, began a letter to the literary journal ‘Encounter’ published in Oct 1958, written by investigative journalist, and New Yorker, William H. Whyte Jr.1 Why did Whyte, editor of the business magazine Fortune, open with such a provoking and baiting statement on cities? What was afoot in city planning to prompt his rallying call?

In the late nineteenth century, the city was both a symbol of hope and uncertainty. The frontier was at an end, which meant many did not have the option of leaving the city in order to begin a new life as settlers in the West. Instead, the city became the new frontier with many flocking to the urban center with the hope of achieving wealth and success. However, like the Goodenoughs and the Marches, country-born people did not quite understand the environment of the city, and they believed that they would be able to live somewhat similarly to their country life. Cities were overrun with crime, overcrowding, and deception, and instead of working to solve these issues, many either ignored or became part of the problem.

Pittsburgh is considered as one of the Atlanta’s oldest neighborhoods established by African Americans in 1883. The community was named Pittsburgh because the industrial area resembled the famous steel mills of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (wiki). The neighborhood, occupies 554 acres southwest of Downtown Atlanta. In the late 1800s, Atlanta’s economy was dependent upon three major rail lines and the railroad played significant role shaping the development of the neighborhood. During the early 20th century Pittsburgh experienced considerable growth (SCI report). However starting in the 1950s, the neighborhood began to experience several decades of decline (Pittsburgh Community Improvement Association, Inc., 2013).

Many downtowns first emerged as a distinctive place due to elite residents with homes in the area, which served as meeting places for important business transactions. By the late 19th century downtowns had typically been laid out with designated business blocks (Ford 2003). The growth of the business block as an economic center and booming downtown forced out any competition that were not appropriate with “high rents, social pressure and architectural change” (Ford 2003, pp 45). This was the origin of the spatial structure and land use patterns that are associated with contemporary downtowns. The origin of the town structure is most commonly affiliated with European cities as models of spatial layout. Specialty business and retail districts that characterized American downtowns and what we now image a good downtown to be are directly linked to it European counterpart. The key characteristic that defer from the European model was the tendency for American cities to be street-oriented rather then place-oriented. This contributed to the more linear structure of the city, business pursued locations on the “main street” rather then near major plazas or religious buildings (Robertson 1997).