Kennesaw-based real estate information firm Smart Numbers has a catchy name for a struggling swath of Atlanta’s suburbs:

The Ring of Death is a J-shaped ring of land surrounding the west, south and east sides of Atlanta’s urban core. According to Smart Numbers, the real estate market in the Ring of Death will never recover.

Never.

It’s overbuilt and overloaded with foreclosures and distressed properties. The Ring includes Hall, Jackson, Barrow, Walton, Newton, Henry, Clayton, Fayette, Coweta, Carroll, Douglas, Paulding counties, and the parts of East Gwinnett and South Fulton.

Looking at the Ring prompts three Decaturcentric thoughts and questions:

1. Decatur isn’t in the ring. We’re smack dab in the middle of the non-dead area. Let’s call it the Donut Hole of Life.
2. Why isn’t Decatur in it? Is it density? Maybe. But Cherokee County is neither dense nor walkable and it’s not in the Ring. Is it mass transit? Perhaps, but Cobb voters hate transit almost as much as they hate science books that leave out the Old Testament. Cobb ain’t in the Ring. Is it schools? City of Atlanta’s school system is in shambles, but Atlanta’s not in the Ring.

It’s probably a combination of all those factors, plus proximity to Atlanta’s main office districts (Midtown, Buckhead, Central Perimeter, and Cumberland).
3. The last thing it reminds me of: Remember the May 31st Decatur Metro post highlighting anti-TSPLOST comments made by Fayette County Tea Partier Debbie Dooley? Yeah, well, maybe we should think twice before we take the advice of people with Ring of Death addresses.

Like Daryl Hall and John Oates, urban planning and public health are better together.

Why live in Decatur?

Let’s see: friendly people, beautiful neighborhoods, beer, parks, smart government, @Carl, good schools, beer, train and bus transit, cerveza, walking access to offices, shops and restaurants, and beer.

And one more thing . . .

A growing body of scientific research suggests dense, walkable cities – like Decatur – are healthier than their sprawling, car-centric cousins.

Wait. I have an idea!

Maybe urban planners and public officials can have some kind of meeting where they can talk making healthier cities?!?!?

Oh, poo. Someone already thought of it.

[In May] the Congress for the New Urbanism [will] hold its national convention in Atlanta; it was organized with help from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under the theme “New Urbanism: Rx for Healthy Places.”

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Put a couple beers in me and get me talking about metro area towns and it’s inevitable that I’ll bring up Stone Mountain.

“Think about it!  That city has one of the largest tourist attractions in the state just minutes down the road, but the city’s downtown is a mess!”

Or something like that.

And like any good rant, mine was pretty devoid of facts.  I hadn’t exactly been down to Stone Mountain City Hall and asked any of these questions to anyone who might actually know the answer.  (The recipient of my rants were mainly friends too nice – or drunk – to tell me to shut up or strangers I’ve accosted in the line at Taqueria del Sol.)

But according to this morning’s AJC, the City of Stone Mountain has been trying to put some money into its streetscapes for at least the lifespan of my rant…

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The endless saga of City vs. State continues.

Atlanta area mayors Shirley Franklin, East Point’s Joseph Macon, and Decatur’s own Bill Floyd participated in a meeting of the Urban Land Institute on Tuesday.

From the AJC article, it seems that Floyd was most out-spoken (or most quotable) on the city’s transportation problems. As the state’s most liberal city, our mayor has the political backing to often take an unpopular position in a conservative state. Like raising taxes to improve infrastructure.

Floyd said the Georgia Legislature should reconsider the idea of allowing areas to tax gasoline to pay for transportation improvements. In an interview, Floyd conceded the idea could hit some potholes because of rising gas prices.

The Decatur mayor also suggested the state should let the entire Atlanta region take over MARTA’s rail service and fund it with sales tax money.

“It’s a great idea, but there’s not enough confidence [among state lawmakers] in MARTA right now,” he said after the hourlong meeting.

Unfortunately, the state’s still asleep at the wheel when it comes to helping curb and control urban growth. Perhaps we should just pray for an expanded, reliable MARTA system?

Momentum for Atlanta’s Beltline project continues to build.

The almighty Robert W. Woodruff foundation has announced an $8 million gift towards the proposed North Avenue park along the Beltline. According to maps on the Beltline website, this particular park stretches from North Ave across the street from City Hall East thru Old Fourth Ward to Freedom Parkway.

According to the AJC, “The North Avenue Park, which will be located south of City Hall East along the Beltline, will be between 13 and 16 acres initially. Plans are for the park to expand to 35 acres. It will include a 4.7 acre water feature that will have ponds with fountains, wetlands and walkways.”