For those of you who haven’t read Micheal Wall’s recent cover story in Creative Loafing I strongly recommend it. 

Here is a Link to the Article (Click Here)  Don’t forget to check out the interesting comments from readers after the article.

The story highlights the problems with the failing MARTA transit system and how the gentrification of Atlanta is creating even more problems for the users of MARTA.   By redeveloping old Atlanta Housing Authority sites that were well served by MARTA the story points out that the poor citizens of Atlanta are being pushed farther and farther away from core service areas of MARTA.

I think the overall points of the article are sadly very accurate.  The piece however makes little or no attempt to give a solution to this situation.  I will refrain from calling it a problem because unlike the author of this story I see it as a “situation”  not necessarily a “problem”.  This is not to say that the plight of the poor is not a concern of mine, I am only saying that the complex relationships between the inner city poor and the gentrification of cities inner cores across America is a wildly complicated and filled with hearsay. 

I am one of these people that wants to spend the majority of my time and thoughts on creating realistic solutions not focusing my energy on how bad things are. 

Here is how Wikipedia defines Gentrification: Gentrification refers to the process whereby dilapidated neighborhoods are restored and refurbished, usually in conjunction with changing demographics and an influx of wealthier residents.

Check out Seth Kelly’s article about gentrification here in Atlanta.

Does gentrification of inner cities cause turbulence for inner city poor?  The answer is certainly a YES.

Does gentrification of inner cities bring money back into the governments hands through increased tax revenue? YES

Does gentrification of inner cities help stop the suburban sprawl and the traffic problems that follow such development? YES

For starters I want to say that I respect Micheal Wall for his great journalistic work in writing this article… It is well written and is certainly effective and getting one side of the story across.  However, this whole debate is so dynamic that when I read one sided articles like “Waiting for a Ride” by Mr. Wall, I wonder if anyone will ever take the time to not only document the obvious problems, but also work to come up with a solution.  I suppose that showing the world the problem is the first step to finding a solution.  I for one am ready to hear some ways to solve the problems that are always brought up by these types of articles.

My short list so far is:

1. McMansions, and infill development

2. Gentrification and the problems it causes poor inner city citizens

3. The ever so popular illegal immigrant debate

PS. Aradia, Thanks for the response in this great article about gentrification here in Atlanta

For those of you who haven’t read Micheal Wall’s recent cover story in Creative Loafing I strongly recommend it. 

Here is a Link to the Article (Click Here)  Don’t forget to check out the interesting comments from readers after the article.

The story highlights the problems with the failing MARTA transit system and how the gentrification of Atlanta is creating even more problems for the users of MARTA.   By redeveloping old Atlanta Housing Authority sites that were well served by MARTA the story points out that the poor citizens of Atlanta are being pushed farther and farther away from core service areas of MARTA.

I think the overall points of the article are sadly very accurate.  The piece however makes little or no attempt to give a solution to this situation.  I will refrain from calling it a problem because unlike the author of this story I see it as a “situation”  not necessarily a “problem”.  This is not to say that the plight of the poor is not a concern of mine, I am only saying that the complex relationships between the inner city poor and the gentrification of cities inner cores across America is a wildly complicated and filled with hearsay. 

I am one of these people that wants to spend the majority of my time and thoughts on creating realistic solutions not focusing my energy on how bad things are. 

Here is how Wikipedia defines Gentrification: Gentrification refers to the process whereby dilapidated neighborhoods are restored and refurbished, usually in conjunction with changing demographics and an influx of wealthier residents.

Check out Seth Kelly’s article about gentrification here in Atlanta.

Does gentrification of inner cities cause turbulence for inner city poor?  The answer is certainly a YES.

Does gentrification of inner cities bring money back into the governments hands through increased tax revenue? YES

Does gentrification of inner cities help stop the suburban sprawl and the traffic problems that follow such development? YES

For starters I want to say that I respect Micheal Wall for his great journalistic work in writing this article… It is well written and is certainly effective and getting one side of the story across.  However, this whole debate is so dynamic that when I read one sided articles like “Waiting for a Ride” by Mr. Wall, I wonder if anyone will ever take the time to not only document the obvious problems, but also work to come up with a solution.  I suppose that showing the world the problem is the first step to finding a solution.  I for one am ready to hear some ways to solve the problems that are always brought up by these types of articles.

My short list so far is:

1. McMansions, and infill development

2. Gentrification and the problems it causes poor inner city citizens

3. The ever so popular illegal immigrant debate

PS. Aradia, Thanks for the response in this great article about gentrification here in Atlanta