Comments on: How Intown Atlanta got here and where we’re going http://www.bloglanta.com/archives/20 For fans of everything ITP Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:32:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Matt http://www.bloglanta.com/archives/20#comment-35 Matt Fri, 30 Jul 2004 07:26:52 +0000 http://www.bloglanta.com/archives/20#comment-35 As an alumnus, I will say that GSU doesn't get the aid or attention it deserves. Still, it's the state's second largest school, the most diverse campus in the southerneastern U.S., and a pretty powerful economic force downtown. One of GSU's biggest problems is a lack of student housing. In 2002, when Georgia State openned a brand new building downtown, it was inexplicably designated for grad students only. A group of undergrads 21 or older was later invited when the school realized it wouldn't be able to fill the apartments. And GSU still lacks any sort of traditional student dorms, offering only high-priced (relative to other student housing) apartments. Most undergrads, however, do not have on-campus housing of any sort. They commute because they have no other choice. As an alumnus, I will say that GSU doesn’t get the aid or attention it deserves. Still, it’s the state’s second largest school, the most diverse campus in the southerneastern U.S., and a pretty powerful economic force downtown. One of GSU’s biggest problems is a lack of student housing. In 2002, when Georgia State openned a brand new building downtown, it was inexplicably designated for grad students only. A group of undergrads 21 or older was later invited when the school realized it wouldn’t be able to fill the apartments. And GSU still lacks any sort of traditional student dorms, offering only high-priced (relative to other student housing) apartments. Most undergrads, however, do not have on-campus housing of any sort. They commute because they have no other choice.

]]> By: Ken http://www.bloglanta.com/archives/20#comment-34 Ken Sun, 27 Jun 2004 19:39:32 +0000 http://www.bloglanta.com/archives/20#comment-34 One of the factors that is often overlooked in making a great city or a lousy one is whether they include great universities. Universities, foremost among cultural institutions, are natural magnets for people and tend to generate agreeable surrounding neighborhoods. Most great world cities and most in the US house first-rate public universities, and some of the nicest neighborhoods in those cities surround the universities. Indeed, some of America's nicest cities have actually grown up around major universities that were initially located in semirural hinterlands. Think Cambridge, Berkeley, and even Athens in Georgia. Like too many American states, however, Georgia has persistently supported UGA is its major university and is now adding some of that support to Georgia Southern. Whereas Georgia Tech in Atlanta is also supported, Georgia State in the heart of Atlanta has been treated like an unwanted stepchild. The result is that while Georgia State does occasionally attract first-rate academics and excellent students, its drift has been toward functioning as a inferior communter college with little cultural life or vibrance. Compounding the problem is that educational policymakers have supported a string of suburban junior colleges that are actually named Perimeter College while Cobb County's 4-year school now rivals Georgia State in quality and appeal. Georgia Tech, Emory, the historically black colleges, and others give Atlanta the potential of being a great university city, but the gaping hole in the equation has long been Georgia State. While that could and should have been an anchor for the city's higher education system as well as for downtown, it has been allowed to flounder. True, a lot of thinking and effort has been put into trying to improve the neighborhood around Georgia State, and this is all welcome. Nevertheless, if the core of that neighborhood is not substantively solid, dolling up the surrounding neighborhood is just window dressing. One of the factors that is often overlooked in making a great city or a lousy one is whether they include great universities. Universities, foremost among cultural institutions, are natural magnets for people and tend to generate agreeable surrounding neighborhoods. Most great world cities and most in the US house first-rate public universities, and some of the nicest neighborhoods in those cities surround the universities. Indeed, some of America’s nicest cities have actually grown up around major universities that were initially located in semirural hinterlands. Think Cambridge, Berkeley, and even Athens in Georgia. Like too many American states, however, Georgia has persistently supported UGA is its major university and is now adding some of that support to Georgia Southern. Whereas Georgia Tech in Atlanta is also supported, Georgia State in the heart of Atlanta has been treated like an unwanted stepchild. The result is that while Georgia State does occasionally attract first-rate academics and excellent students, its drift has been toward functioning as a inferior communter college with little cultural life or vibrance. Compounding the problem is that educational policymakers have supported a string of suburban junior colleges that are actually named Perimeter College while Cobb County’s 4-year school now rivals Georgia State in quality and appeal. Georgia Tech, Emory, the historically black colleges, and others give Atlanta the potential of being a great university city, but the gaping hole in the equation has long been Georgia State. While that could and should have been an anchor for the city’s higher education system as well as for downtown, it has been allowed to flounder. True, a lot of thinking and effort has been put into trying to improve the neighborhood around Georgia State, and this is all welcome. Nevertheless, if the core of that neighborhood is not substantively solid, dolling up the surrounding neighborhood is just window dressing.

]]> By: atlantalarry http://www.bloglanta.com/archives/20#comment-36 atlantalarry Sun, 27 Jun 2004 16:02:08 +0000 http://www.bloglanta.com/archives/20#comment-36 <strong>A series of brief articles at Bloglanta</strong> I've begun writing a series of brief articles on Bloglanta on how the City of Atlanta got into the current shape it's in, with particular emphasis on Downtown and the intown neighborhoods surrounding it. My hope for the articles is A series of brief articles at Bloglanta

I’ve begun writing a series of brief articles on Bloglanta on how the City of Atlanta got into the current shape it’s in, with particular emphasis on Downtown and the intown neighborhoods surrounding it. My hope for the articles is

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