On Thursday, October 25th, Decatur became the first city in Georgia to activate a wireless network under the Governor’s Wireless Communities Georgia (WCG) Program.

Currently, Decatur’s Wi-Fi extends in a one mile radius from the town square and includes the Agnus Scott campus. All 4.2 miles of the city should be covered by July 2008.

GoDeKalb

So, how do we access this new wi-fi service? I know I’m within 0.8 stumbling miles of the Brick Store, which I would consider the square, but I don’t see anything new amongst my wireless options. And surprisingly there’s nothing on the city’s website.

I’ll see what I can find out.

For other Decatur hotspots click here.

UPDATE: Map and Instructions can be found in this post

In its cover story for the week, CL uses the the Sembler project at Briarcliff/N. Druid Hills Rd to argue how DeKalb County has come to a crossroads in terms of future development. With more people looking to avoid the long commutes downtown, will DeKalb have to accommodate a larger population with more condos and fewer single family homes?  It’s already happening.  Older shopping centers with huge expanses of asphalt are ripe for development.

The article uses Decatur as an example of successful mixed use development.

“Compelling evidence (of mixed use development) lies just a few miles south of Briarcliff, in Decatur. With 19,000 residents packed into four square miles, the longtime county seat is the most densely developed city in Georgia. Surrounded by busy roads, it’s several minutes’ drive from a major highway, yet plans for new blocks of condominiums are welcomed and property values continue to soar.”

Though I certainly wouldn’t argue that Decatur is a successful example of mixed use, its not an apt comparison to the Sembler development, which would be created by a single company. Look to Atlantic Station or Sembler’s Edgewood development for what the future might hold for the Briarcliff intersection.

An excellent read.  Pick one up or click here.

Hattip: Decatur-DeKalb