ATLANTA (May 10, 2001) -- A group of senior design students at Georgia Tech eager to apply their architecture skills to a real-world urban revitalization project are working closely with city planners and neighborhood stakeholders to develop a master plan for historic West End in the southwest corner of the city. † † Instructor Herman Howard discusses a senior's design project recently at the College of Architecture. The project is one of several developed by students working in conjunction with the West End Neighborhood Development Group, the City of Atlanta Planning Department and the Atlanta Regional Commission to study West End and the possibilities it might hold for improved live, work and play environments. [350dpi JPEG download = 1.4M]The 12 students are lead by Georgia Tech College of Architecture Instructor Herman Howard, who has structured a senior design studio that works in conjunction with efforts of the West End Neighborhood Development Group, the City of Atlanta Planning Department and the Atlanta Regional Commission to study West End and the possibilities it might hold for future development. Howard said the West End Community recently earned a grant from the Atlanta Regional Commission to study transportation patterns and land use possibilities in the area. The City of Atlanta would like to study infrastructure improvements and government policies that would encourage live, work and play developments near the West End MARTA Station, he said. The grant is intended to help the community plan developments that promote pedestrian activity and smart growth. "With this grant, the West End community has a great opportunity to become a strong transportation hub that can support the type of mixed-use development that city officials see as key to improving the metro area’s air quality while keeping the economy strong," Howard said. Among the major components of the neighborhood are The West End MARTA Station; The Ralph David Abernathy commercial corridor; The Mall - West End Shopping Center; The Atlanta University Center, the nation’s largest single location of students attending historically black universities and colleges; the Adair Park Neighborhood; and The Candler Warehouse. The Georgia Tech architecture students have divided into several teams that focus on different study areas within the neighborhood as part of their project. The purpose of their study is to formulate strategies to develop the West End Activity Node to its fullest potential. Students examine urban design as architectural theory and practice. They also research and analyze the West End area, study the design of its urban framework and then come up with specific design proposals within that framework. Among their goals are to develop alternatives for underused or vacant property; encourage infill and redevelopment; develop streetscape and pedestrian/bicycle linkages to a range of travel modes; connect the transportation center to other centers; create civic space and focal points; preserve the historic characteristics of the center; and to improve the community identity. "Student design studios like this provide a great synergy of benefits," said Ellen Dunham-Jones, director of the Architecture Program in Georgia Tech’s College of Architecture. "The input from the community helps the students reflect deeply on the real life ramifications of their design decisions. At the same time, the students’ fresh ideas and visualizations can be a terrific vehicle for discussion for the city and community alike to better plan for their future." Howard said that West End is ripe for development, especially due to its rich past. The area began its history as a traveler’s rest stop at Charmer Humphries’ Whitehall Tavern and pre-dates the settlement of Atlanta by two years, he said. A community that developed around the tavern became known as West End in 1867. When Atlanta extended its municipal streetcar line in 1871, the area began to develop as a community. It was annexed into the city in 1894. By the 1920s several prominent Atlantans called West End home. The area began to lose residents and turned towards commercial development when Interstate 75/85 and Interstate 20 were built in the 1950s and 1960s. For more information contact Instructor Herman Howard, (404) 874-4429, (678) 516-6183 or HHHoward58@yahoo.com. Back to Brown High Home Page