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BEA Draft 3: The People of the Landscape

With the impending closure of the Peachtree-Pine homeless shelter, many advocates for the homeless community believe the city is not invested in the fate of certain demographics. I believe the officials who make these consequential decision often do so without a knowledge of the people and places their policies impact. I would like to highlight…

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BEA Draft 2: The People of the Landscape

A major factor in the built environment is our daily, conscious interaction with these spaces. Controversy surrounding this issue, and homelessness in general, is the ability of the city to make decisions about the fate of a place and people with whom they cannot relate. These are the people behind the articles, the city council…

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Image: Audio Tours

The availability of these tours marks an effort to catalyze more conscious interactions with the built environment. More than a cemetery, the recurrence of signage and these automated tours typifies Oakland as an outdoor museum. Here, visitors are meant to engage in the environment’s past, and utilize the green space as more than a graveyard.

Image: Monument

The monument stands at the end of a long cobblestone walkway, and impresses upon visitors for its height as they approach. To the right of the monument begins the expanse of Confederate gravestones, organized like those in Arlington. The Confederate flag is not included among the four hanging beside the monument.

Image: Gravesite

This grave is near the entrance to the cemetery, where the political and cultural figures of the city are buried. Its ornate, artistic style contributes to the tranquil atmosphere of the environment, more a place of solitude and beauty than a harsh reminder of death. This headstone also reveals a stratification of race even after…

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Signage: Tree Tag

Most trees bear tags that identify their species. As the cemetery is a major source of green space in the city, these tags command a more conscious interaction with the built environment. These also characterize efforts of the cemetery to preserve and care for the natural environment of the space.    

Signage: Historic Marker

The historic marker details the history of the cemetery, and its cultural significance to the city of Atlanta. The sign objectively characterizes the history and role of the cemetery, without any reaction to the segregation of races. There is a recurrent emphasis of the use of green space in the cemetery, as it was the…

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Built Environment Description: Oakland Cemetery

The flora of Oakland Cemetery is juxtaposed by the desolation of its locale. Nearby structures are of the same neutral beige, and most are vacant or crumbling. The graveyard is bordered by a tall brick barricade, and mounted on the entrance gate is an iron semi-circle blazoned with the name of the cemetery. Immediately beside…

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Class Notes: BEA 11/3

Homelessness/Poverty- homeless shelter, safehouse in downtown—OR go to Peachtree-Pine since it’s closing, see what reasons there are for closure- how will the closure of the shelter effect the homeless community, citizens, and city as a whole Race/Segregation Gendered Environments Gentrification Opportunity for new bike routes or autonomous vehicles     Will renovation lead to gentrification…

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Built Environment Analysis Draft 1

The Peachtree-Pine homeless shelter, the largest in the city of Atlanta, has faced threats of closure from city officials since its inception. Mayor Kasim Reed now spearheads the crusade to terminate its utilization, and the shelter will be closed within the coming months. Despite arguments made by city officials, the closure of the Peachtree-Pine shelter…

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