Atlanta is as Atlanta Does
Decatur Metro | June 30, 2010 | 3:20 pmIf it wasn’t too busy to pay attention, Atlanta might still be reeling from the recent one-two punches it recently received from author James Howard Kunstler and musician-turned-urban biker David Byrne after the New Urbanism conference set up shop in downtown last month.
But today, what’s left of the dwindling Atlanta blogosphere (seriously, it’s hurting these days. we lost yet another yesterday – good luck in Chi-town Ben!) is peeing its collective pants over a nicely articulated piece by Christa at Pecanne Log, who decided to write the response to “America’s Greatest Urban Minds” herself after no one else stepped up to the plate.
Here’s a tangy, yet undeniably sweet taste of her post “There’s nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so”…
I also HATE when people compare Atlanta to other cities, even indirectly. Sometimes I get fired up and do this myself, and then I hate myself for it. I haven’t lived in that many other cities, so what do I really know? And if people want a city where they don’t have to have a car, or where they can be cooler than literally everyone else in the United States, or where they have more job opportunities in a particular industry, or where there are New England autumns, or where all the big policy problems are already solved, then Atlanta just isn’t going to be able to fulfill that need (even Decatur can’t provide a good Connecticut fall experience, as much as it tries). That’s cool! Do what you need to do! But when there’s some Atlanta vs. Denver, or Atlanta vs. whoever else debate, the cities just don’t usually line up enough to make any real comparisons. It becomes just a subjective exercise in what one wants out of a city.
Decatur Connecticut Fall Experience Festival! Who’s with me!?
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I’m from Connecticut – I do miss the fall. Atlanta wins for best springtime, though. I’m in with you for a CT festival.
I’ve lived in FL, CT, NY, CA, VA, MD, and DC. That’s why I live in Atlanta…
Okay, I’ll start: I would have attended this conference but I was riding my bike.
I loved reading Christa’s post for the most part, but this section you’ve quoted is the one bit that rubbed me the wrong way. It sounds dangerously close to a dismissive, ‘Delta is ready when you are’ attitude toward people who want more from their city than the status quo.
Embracing the existing character of one’s city with one arm while shoving it into new territory with the other is not only possible, I think it’s vitally important. The world changes, society changes and cities have to change too — while also being many different things to many different communities within them. Whiners like me who constantly want more from their city are an important group.
I don’t think she was dismissive of people who want more, only of those who use “why can’t Atlanta be more like [insert city of your choice] instead of so backward?” as a platform for complaining.
I agree that it’s unproductive to base a serious discussion on direct comparisons between Atlanta and other cities. Cities are unique and their differing components don’t line up neatly for comparison.
Still, it’s hard to resist doing a little ‘my city vs. your city’ comparison when you travel around. That’s a fairly natural urge.
I get caught up in a lot of whining about Atlanta’s shortcomings. And I’m definitely one of those people who believes the city owes me the opportunity to live a car-free life without getting killed in the process. What I appreciate about Christa’s post is that it brings my pie-in-the-sky dreams down to earth for a nice visit by urging me to learn to love the great character that my city does have and not to just hold a grudge about what it doesn’t have.
Darin,
One city can’t be all things to all people – that was just my point. So if people have preferences for things Atlanta can’t offer as well as other places, then I’m not going to get offended by that! I did for a while and it was pointless, especially when a lot of friends couldn’t find professional jobs here anymore.
“Sins can be such fun. Of the seven supposedly deadly ones, only envy does not give the sinner at least momentary pleasure. And an eighth, schadenfreude — enjoyment of other persons’ misfortunes — is almost the national pastime. ”
George F. Will
Aren’t both of those sins drivers of capitalism?
I’d be more than happy to discuss the merits of capitalism when the topic at hand merits it. Otherwise your just asking me to defend an arguement I never made on a subject only you seem to understand.
OK then. Well, would you at least be willing to explain why you cited that quote and in what context it was originally said?
Because otherwise I’m inferring. And lord can that be a mess!
I’d say envy drives government redistribution far more than it drives capitalism. “Oh my gosh, some people make more money than others! We need to pass 10 billion laws to stop this intolerable inequality and replace it with “social justice!” And so forth.
So there, I took the bait, even if Davo wouldn’t.
Loved the post but the best part for me was that I know everybody in the video at the end of the article. Funtone records forever! It’s also Clare Parker of the Now Explosions birthday!
Little known fact: The Great American Music show was mostly shot in James Bond, Julian Bond’s brother’s mothers basement. Only in Atlanta.
Can someone give me a list of the cities in which “all the big policy problems are already solved?” Thanks much.
I think that’s her point.
Within the context of Atlanta…Decatur is a gem!
Put Decatur in subruban Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland etc…I’d rather be in the midwest!!!!Much nicer up there if you are into the lifestyle available here in decatur…weather aside…
I love cold though…heat and humidity sucks!!!! Family is in metro though, so…so am I. oh well.
Give me suburban Detroit over suburban Atlanta any day (economy aside..although it sucks all over the country now) !!!!!!!!!!…..let alone Chicago…Cleveland….Indy….etc….all much nicer than here…IMO.
Interesting contrast between Atlanta and Detroit – within the City Limits, Detroit does not have a single national branded (e.g Kroger, Safeway, etc.) supermarket. Atlanta has plenty.
Sure, between living in the city of atlanta and the city of Detroit i pic Atlanta…but between suburban Detroit and suburban Atlanta I pic Detroit…more choice in lifestyle there than here.
that ‘log’ post is a log alright.
it makes no sense. it doesn’t contain even a single interesting statement. not one.
but aside from that, i don’t see what the problem is. if you don’t like criticism of your city, then just ignore it — like you’ve been doing for the past fifty years. so stop the crying — there’s no crying in new urbanism.
or do something to unsuck your city.
i returned to atl last year for a visit — a job at ma tech. nope — don’t want it. can’t ride my bike in atl, as cool as atl may be, so it’s off the list. if you’re gonna cry about not having jobs, then maybe atl should do something about attracting people who might bring some money and energy to atl. ignoring criticism ain’t gonna get it done.
it seems some ATL folks are reacting exactly the way some Augusta folks did when Tom Brokaw ripped the Jiffy Lubes and strip malls of Washington Road — lots of tears, screaming, overreaction, stomping of feet, denials, name calling — all the usual tactics of a pre-adolescent child when they hear something they don’t like.
so melodramatic. what a waste. “i _HATE_ when people compare cities.” really? what else do you hate? and do you hate it because it provides a rational basis of comparison that we can use to, you know, improve the places we live in? or do you hate it for some other reason? how bizarre.
and it’s ‘Congress for the New Urbanism’ — not ‘Congress for New Urbanism’.
was hoping to read a spirited rebuttal — instead, i got a bunch of straw men, and someone’s feelings are hurt. blah. wasted my time.
can’t ride my bike in atl, as cool as atl may be, so it’s off the list. if you’re gonna cry about not having jobs, then maybe atl should do something about attracting people who might bring some money and energy to atl. ignoring criticism ain’t gonna get it done.
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You can’t ride your bike at all in Atlanta? I ride my bike here, and, from time to time, I see a few other riding theirs. We even have multiple bike shops that sell the very bikes that you can’t ride in this city. One wonders how they stay in business. I guess Atlantans buy bikes so they can take them to other cities to ride.
As for jobs, we were doing ok there until a thing called the Great Recession. You may have heard of it. Caused 10% national unemployment, and all that.
In my case I am sad to say you are right. I bought a nice bike intending to ride more and drive less. It sits in my basement because I am scared to ride beyond my neighborhood streets. I don’t feel safe. Not enough room for me and all the SUVs and huge pickups. Too many drivers don’t use turn signals. Yes I do ride my bike mostly in areas other than inside the perimeter.
Yeah sure, we’re not going to get a New England Autumn. Whining is not going to change the unchangeable – duh.
But comparing, contrasting and complaining out loud is a legitimate way to induce change in a city that has a lot of shortcomings that could be changed with public policy action and an increased understanding of options.
Usually when Atlanta meets a fork in the road, we stab ourself in the eye with it (example: the uglyass 17th Street Bridge).
Speaking of stabbing oneself in the eye, are you the poet who was thrashing a tree with sticks on the Square yesterday afternoon?
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