Urban Land Institute Trends

Suburban centers have lost a sense of pride. Many people moved to the metro outskirts to escape the crime, poverty, traffic, etc. However, in many ways expanding suburban sprawl is simply extending these negative downtown affiliates. People tend to venture to the "city" to shop, attend sporting events or concerts, work, or just enjoy a night on the town. Though, for some unexplainable reason, many people want to associate their "home" with a different location than their "work." People move to the suburbs to rid themselves from the hassle of what busy downtown centers bring, but usually end up short-changed in many aspects of life. Suburbs are now filled with predictable chain restaurants and obsolete shopping centers, yet a more affordable way of life. For every negative aspect of suburbia, however, there seems to be a positive.

Studies have shown that attitudes towards suburbia are changing, but a shift in city planning is not following accordingly. The Urban Land Institute has highlighted 7 factors as to why this is occurring and I am going to discuss McDonough's status amongst these:

1. The suburbs are no longer dominated by white, middle-class families but house a diverse array of people coming from different cultural and economic backgrounds.
-This is becoming increasingly more applicable to McDonough as the years go by. The white population in McDonough is 15% below the national average, while the minority population is about 20% above the national average. This means that shopping and housing accommodations need to change in order to best serve the entire population. Besides, differing cultures, McDonough also hosts are multiple age groups that would benefit from a great downtown center.

2. The problems associated with downtowns have deteriorated and are slowly becoming "cool" again.
-Crime in McDonough has been gradually decreasing for 6 years now, despite the demographic changes that would suggest otherwise. Or perhaps it is the fact that the majority of the people are sitting in traffic instead of vandalizing the high school gym. Nevertheless, the city is ready for a trendy city center, one that is not solely dominated by traffic, and the actions of its citizens are displaying a desire for some sort of economically and mentally stimulating gathering point to exist.

3. The need for a car to travel everywhere is becoming an unsustainable (didn't even know that was a word) solution.
-While this may not only be unsustainable, but also inconvenient, time-consuming, and expensive for the weary traveler, McDonough does not have the capacity for public transportation as of yet. That does not mean that the concept needs to be dismissed because I am all for planning for growth, but McDonough is not in the financial position to bring some sort of mass transit to the city center. Though, I have been contemplating proposing some sort of awesome ski-like lift or underground train to enter the square, but I am afraid that idea would be lost in its hilarity. Besides, I am curious as to how much revenue Atlanta is making from the gas tax. I have no knowledge of any information pertaining to the tax (even whether or not it is a federal or state tax, I have no clue) and am just speculating that it might be an anchor, revenue generator in the big city. Though I could be very wrong about this, which I probably am. One thing I do know is that everything revolves around money, a fact that can neither be dismissed or denied no matter how idealistic you may be.

4. There is a powerful desire to create a sense of community amongst downtown areas once again
-Now, I am not sure if every McDonoughian feels a sense of pride for the beloved town, but McDonough is just far enough away from Atlanta to highlight to strangers that we are not necessarily big city people. One thing for sure is that it is not necessarily convenient to travel to Atlanta spontaneously for a nice dinner, movie, or museum event in the evening and having those in a much more accessible location is something McDonough needs. Besides, I can say with a fair amount of certainty that McDonough will never be a legitimate tourist attraction so staying in Atlanta for the evening at one of the many 5-star hotels it possesses will always be a nice get-away instead of staying in one of the (though pretty underrated) Holiday Inn's in Henry County. Still, unless McDonough is graced with a Ritz Carlton or St. Regis in the near future, those romantic anniversary over-night stays will not be taking place within the McDonough city limits. No matter if people deny it or not, being from McDonough will always hold a place in their hearts and nobody would refuse a better city center.

5. Suburbanites harbor more convenience in their lives
-This is an entirely true statement for people in McDonough but, honestly, is a true statement for everyone. Who wants to be inconvenienced? That would be preposterous! McDonough already hosts, what I endearingly call, the JoBo Road strip which contains an anchor Super Target (probably the greatest Target ever built and that is not an exaggeration), Home Depot, Belk, Starbucks and other chain companies and restaurants. This is an entire corporate shopping center, though, with no redeeming qualities to bolster the local entrepreneur but is, nevertheless, convenient. In fact, this shopping center has attracted people from counties south of us to come and do their everyday shopping when they would otherwise travel to Macon. The fact that people in McDonough no longer travel north to Morrow, GA for this somewhat specialty shopping and dining and that others are relying on McDonough as a supplier of everyday goods indicates that it is slowly becoming a nucleus as a south metro shopping district. It, therefore, needs to do more to attract visitors to multiple parts of the city and not just a 3/4 of a mile corporate strip. The square definitely needs to remain dominated by local stores, but there is nothing wrong with placing a corporate anchor in it to get the ball rolling.

6. Voters are beginning to notice the "hidden" costs of suburban development practices.
-I apostrophized hidden because I do not think that it is a very inconspicuous fact that it is cheaper to live in the suburbs than the city. In fact, with Screengems moving into Atlanta soon property values in the suburbs, especially the south metro areas, are going to boom. At least, that is my hope, and if I had $20,000 to spare I would definitely invest in a house in East Point or Lakewood because those up-and-coming areas are going to grow drastically within the next 10 years. Assuming this prediction is correct, McDonough needs to be able to offer its citizens and visitors more in order to keep up with the successful downtown suburban centers of Decatur or Roswell that are definitely models to reference.

7. Though people may want the sophistications of an urban lifestyle, they may not want to live downtown.
-This is a statement that I do not think is too generalized. One could argue that they live in the suburbs because it is ultimately cheaper and it has better school districts, but I believe that may not always be the case. I have heard others argue that no nice things can be built in McDonough because the people who live there are not "classy" enough to keep those businesses alive. But I want to give my fellow citizens the benefit of the doubt. So far there has not been a model company (besides Bliss) in McDonough for other companies to want to stand by or help sustain and that is why there has not been a truly successful restaurant on the square. Honestly, and I hope I am not betraying any McDonough patriots out there, but Seasons Bistro, Pasta Max, and PJ's are mediocre at best. Who wants to pay a lot for mediocre? There is a reason why chains are successful and that does not need to be undermined. But, I am just praying that someone comes along who has a great business model for an awesome, trendy, new restaurant and I will be their biggest advocate.

Hopefully, I will be able to move out of the programming phase of the project and into the schematic design and development phases soon and I cannot wait to being posting initial site plans and would greatly appreciate any comments and even criticism.

Don't Doubt the Roundabout

Besides being an awesome word, especially when said with a British accent, a roundabout is a circular intersection with design features that promote safe and efficient traffic flow. Now, before you anti-anything European haters out there offer your rebuttal, hear me out.

A study performed in 2005 in Minnesota states that traffic signals could be a major reason for traffic, road rage, and even pollution in heavily populated areas. They are not monitored closely enough and most traffic signals are set in place before a viable plan for their use has been conducted and set in motion. Some people blame the inefficiency on signal timing, and that might be one factor, but no matter how many studies are done on the most appropriate timing of traffic signals at certain intersections there is still going to be stop-and-go traffic. However, roundabouts can be a solution to that problem at many intersections including the McDonough Square.

Right now, there are four intersecting roads at the Square that run on traffic signals, leading to a very hectic and slow-moving quarter of a mile. But, if a roundabout was in place then it could potentially eliminate a majority of the traffic and make the Square an enjoyable place to visit. Since it is the nucleus of the city and a picturesque unavoidability when traveling locally, commuters that do not plan to stop at the square but must drive through it in order to reach their destination will find the experience much more pleasurable.



The biggest resistance to roundabouts comes from the population of the public that are unfamiliar with how they should be used. Dan Winn, a retired Superior Court Judge who lives in Cedartown, wants to see the Georgia Department of Transportation come around to the idea of roundabouts and to have them implemented as the first step in new city planning around the state. In an article, he uses Elijay as a case study, highlighting the graceful aesthetic a roundabout produces in a city center. However, studies have shown that constructing a roundabout can also reduce the usage of millions of gallons of gasoline a year as well as the amount of energy used to power traffic signals. Estimates claim that roundabouts reduce the amount of fatal and incapacitating injury crashes by 90%! Ultimately, there just doesn't seem to be a reason not to use a roundabout.



Roundabouts are appropriate in locations with large traffic delays (i.e. the McDonough Square), complex geometry (i.e. the McDonough Square), and frequent left turns (i.e. the McDonough Square). In fact, the Square is already shaped with the intention of producing a constant, counterclockwise motion, but there are just traffic signals in place that inhibit any sort of quick travel. With multi-land roundabouts, as what I would propose be in place in the McDonough Square, signs and lane markings should help drivers choose the appropriate lane when entering and exiting a roundabout. Unlike old traffic circles, modern roundabouts give the right-of-way to vehicles inside the perimeter of the circle, while those on the outside must yield. Still, there should never be a stalled motion of travel inside the circle. Some more information about roundabouts and all their greatness can be found here.

The Washington State Department of Transportation offers a good tutorial on how to drive in a roundabout since most Americans are not used to having to deal with crazy European contraptions and the city of Brookefield, Wisconsin offers some good information about roundabouts as well. I am going to have to do a lot of innovative planning and thinking about how to orient the lanes and signs of the roundabout in order not to force vehicles to change lanes as they approach their destination turn. Roundabouts are good speed monitors because drivers must negotiate a sharp curve to enter and are forced to travel at slower speeds. Another factor about the roundabout that I am going to have to brainstorm about is the fact that pedestrians are normally not supposed to cross the roundabout into the middle of the circle. Right now, McDonough has a small park with benches and a statue in the middle commemorating General MacDonough, which is a good place to walk your dog or take wedding photos. Therefore, I would not want to shut off access to that completely. I am all for underground tunnel or bridge building, but am not quite sure how the Henry County Zoning and Planning Commission would feel about that one...