Darin Givens (ATL Urbanist)
Urbanism advocate focusing on transit, safe streets, land use, and the connections between city design and transport outcomes.
Are Atlanta Suburbs Missing Quality Dining Options?
This is a serious, non-judgemental question because I honestly don't know: is there a lack of great restaurants in the Atlanta suburbs? I see so many people driving into the city for dining and I was under the assumption that suburbanites didn't need to do that anymore.
Atlanta’s Low Density, Not Over‑crowding, Fuels Car‑centric Congestion
Atlanta ranks 143rd in population density among U.S. cities & that’s not good. The common misperception that Atlanta has gotten ‘too dense’ is about cars, not people. What we’re too full of is car-centric places, generating a glut of car trips. https://daringivens.medium.com/atlanta-ranks-143rd-in-population-density-among-u-s-cities-thats-not-good-f9f9412caf0a
Hotel-to-Residence Conversion Boosts Downtown Vitality
Cool news from @urbanizeatlanta_ The beautiful Rhodes-Haverty tower (1929) is slated to be converted from a hotel to residential. As I've said for years and years, Downtown needs many more homes than it has. Being primarily a place for visitors...
New Bus Route Leads to Fun Little 5 Points Visits
The MARTA bus route closest to our building used to connect us directly to Virginia Highland. But with the redesigned system, the bus takes us to Little 5 Points instead and I'm not mad about it! I'm enjoying our weekend visits.
Cities Must Reduce Car Dependence Despite Growing Pains
Exactly. Growing cities need to become less reliant on personal cars. There will be growing pains, no doubt.
MARTA’s New Bus Combo Delivers On‑Time Access to Beltline
Our trip on the new MARTA bus system today: a combo of the 7 and 22 buses to get to the Glenwood Park neighborhood and the newly opened section of the Beltline path that's immediately south of it. Both buses...
MARTA Journey: Escalator, Train, and Station Views
Pics from MARTA trip today: the escalator at SEC Station, the view from a train, and the view from inside King Memorial Station.
Atlanta Demands Crosswalk; Mayor's Inaction Endangers Streets
I saw several people cross this deadly 225 block of Peachtree Street today. The Dickens administration has failed to place a crosswalk here despite outcry from advocates & support from Council members. It's hugely disappointing, to say the least. Atlanta...
14th & Howell Mill Needs Pedestrian Scramble to End Delays
The intersection of 14th Street and Howell Mill Road could use an all-way crossing phase for pedestrians (also called a "scramble"). I hope someone at @atldot is working on that. The situation is rough; plus, the light phases last so...
GDOT Builds Bike Lane Ten Times Faster than Atlanta
I can't get over how cool it is that GDOT is building a protected bike lane on 14th Street, and they're doing it about ten times the speed it took the City of Atlanta to build the Juniper Street bike...
New Platform Designs Shine Amid Construction Chaos
Five Points MARTA Station is a mess of construction right now but I'm very impressed with the new designs for the train platforms. This will look great with the cool new train cars.
Atlanta’s Skyline Transformed: Before‑After Views Reveal Massive Change
I wonder if the people who are new to Atlanta (or the ones who will visit for the FIFA games) realize the major changes over the last several years. Here are a few of my favorite before-and-after images.
Grateful for Easy Train Access, Hope for Wider Opportunity
Sometimes when I'm riding a train I have a giddy moment where I think: "Wow, I live in a city with rail transit; that's pretty cool." I'm lucky to afford to live in a place where I can easily get...
Same Street, Two Eras: Atlanta’s Gentrification Unfolds
The same view of Glen Iris Drive in Old Fourth Ward, 12 years apart. On one level, this image typifies the kind of gentrification that's happened in O4W and other neighborhoods over the past 20 years. It could certainly serve...
Freedom Depends on Mobility: Not One‑Size‑Fit
Them: "Cars and sprawl are freedom. Walkable density is oppression, and public transit is government waste." Me: "But I can't drive. For me, transit and walkability are freedom." Them: "No; just sit in freeway traffic in a self-driving car. Then you'll be...