Fifteenth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

Land vacated by Fort Mc Pearson Military base was bought by Tyler Perry studios in Oakland City, Atlanta. After a year or so, Atlanta BeltLine has reached the north of Oakland City and south of West End Neighborhoods. BeltLine, a recreational green line going through in-town neighborhoods with lower-income residents and connecting parks in the city, created a huge gentrification impact in those surrounding neighborhoods. By the two events, there is an influx of new people moving into the two historic neighborhoods, where a dominant and visible African-American culture with low-income people exist. Students in the KSU Architecture Department’s Urban Studio have worked in these neighborhoods and developed urban design solutions to preserve the current residents in the neighborhood while welcoming the new ones. Land uses for each economic level integrated with community services and environmental solutions for the flooding in the neighborhood and heat-island conditions, providing conditions for local economy as well as socially and physically connecting disjointed factories to the neighborhood, surrounding dominant infrastructural elements by public domain, providing public spaces for social interaction, and preserving the social and physical community character were some of the strategies used. These illustrated strategies have been shared with public and private partnerships, organizations, and governmental entities working in the area via Instructors committee duties and have already been creating a positive impact on the neighborhoods’ physical and social future.