Fascinating Article from the WSJ: "Making Suburbia More Livable"

An interesting story from the Wall Street Journal, courtesy of Ms. Brown. The story, "Making Suburbia More Livable," details how suburban life is problematic for the elderly and how suburban towns are "retrofitting" themselves to become more centralized and better meet the needs of their citizens.

Perhaps most interestingly, it focuses on Georgia communities like Fayatteville and Mableton--which (and I had no idea about this) are working with the good folks at the Miami architecture and design firm Duany, Plater-Zyberk & Co. (sound familiar?) to rethink and redesign their communities. The reporter also speaks with Georgia Tech professor Ellen Dunham-Jones' book, Retrofitting Suburbia. The article also includes a brief but really informative podcast--hear actual people use the word "walkability" in a sentence!

Here's an image from the working plan for downtown Mableton. Click here to read their full report: if you're from Mableton or Cobb County, I think you'll find this worthwhile. I've copied the explanation directly from the WSJ.

Local officials are working on plans to fashion a community where people can live more easily throughout their lifetimes. To that end, the plans call for developing several "nodes":

• 1) New housing and retail space and services would enable residents to age in place.
• 2) An arts center would expand an existing amphitheater and add galleries and live-work units for local artists
• 3) A new town center, coupled with greenways, would make Mableton more pedestrian-friendly.
• 4) A civic center would include wellness and fitness centers.
• 5) A historic area would feature restored homes and a commuter rail stop.