Abstract: Urban design plays a critical role in determining the health of

people. The ways our cities are laid out determine our daily activities

which in turn influence health and well being. Built environment

features such as parks and streets can be modified in such as manner that

they are more welcoming, livable, safe and visually appealing. As part of

the Built Environment and Health portfolio major element, I will

propose redesigning the Hurt Park and the surrounding streets-

Edgewood Avenue, Gilmer Street and Courtland Street by highlighting

the potentials of the area and to make them more functional for

pedestrians and park users.

Madhubanti Ganguly PH 7340 Built Environment and Health

Spring 2012 Georgia State University

Redesigning Hurt Park and Surrounding

Streets to Promote Healthy Environment

Introduction:

Human beings find tranquility, comfort and restoration from contact with nature. Green space such as

parks and gardens can be therapeutic too. Urban parks are often places where people seek refuge from

their daily chaotic city life. Nature contact may also benefit health through stress reduction. But often due

to lack of maintenance and improper design, these parks lose their attraction. They become deserted,

isolated from their surroundings, become hotspots for crime and illegal activities rendering them more

unattractive to park users. Moreover, if parks lack in facilities such as sufficient lighting, public

restrooms, drinking water fountains, walking trails or seating areas, people are not encouraged to spend

their time over there. Parks not only serve as place for contact with nature, they can also provide facilities

such as walking trails, to engage in physical activity.

Another important built environment feature that influences our health is streets. Although average

Americans spend more time sitting in their cars, we use streets to walk to our final destinations such as

schools, workplace or homes. We often do not realize it, but street designs and features influence the

amount of time we spend walking on them. Making streets pedestrian friendly and safe and introducing

aesthetics will encourage people to walk longer distances than they would have done otherwise. Several

cities across United States have realized the importance of streets to the communities and are re-

evaluating both the form and function of their "street spaces"1 so that they can create livable communities.

Cities like Seattle (2005), Los Angeles (2008), New York (2009), San Francisco (Draft, 2008), have

released new street design manuals and toolkits with the aim of making streets places to linger and places

to cherish, improving the public right-of-way for all users, supporting design improvements such as

crosswalks, bike lanes, and roundabouts that improve pedestrians and bike riders safety, designing streets

based on their place within a hierarchy of streets and their relationship to surrounding land uses, densities,

and commercial activities, maintaining several functions in the street that include safety, roadway

infrastructure, environmental sensitivity, creating places that encourage walking and exercise, improving

the overall aesthetic with an emphasis on high quality, sustainable design and materials and creating a

healthy environment by minimizing negative environmental effects (Hawkes, 2009).

Hurt Park located in Downtown Atlanta is an urban park currently underutilized. The street segments

along with the park have lots of potential to serve as location for outdoor activities. The theme of this

portfolio element is to highlight the potentials of the park and the surrounding streets as built environment

features promoting health. This is represented as a photo essay where present pictures of the Hurt Park

and the three street segments of Edgewood Avenue, Gilmer Street and Courtland Street around this

triangular park have been compared with a new proposed design using the Google SkechUp tool. The

1 http://www.planetizen.com/node/40394

pictures of the existing park and streets were taken on March 7th, 2012 between noon and 1 PM. Based on

the existing conditions of the park and the streets, models were created to illustrate a vision of the

proposed plan. The designs are based on previous research on similar fields. This photo essay has not

looked into the budget and financing of the proposal but the plans have taken into account feasibility and

affordability.

Literature Review:

Built Environment and Health: There is abundant research available which discusses relationship

between built environment and health. The place where one lives determines how healthy that person will

be. Urban planning and public health emerged with common a goal that is to prevent and protect people

from infectious disease. The way planners design a place has an impact on the health and well being of

the people living there. The two disciplines have ever since gone separate ways. Reconnecting the two

fields have certain challenges such as how to pay attention to the effects of built environment while also

expanding the political processes that produce such outcomes. There are also challenges such as

developing a multidisciplinary approach towards eliminating health disparities and developing an urban

health agenda. Social epidemiology and environmental justice can reconnect the two disciplines (Corburn,

2004). Health disparity is often evident from the availability of food in one’s neighborhood. Resident in

disadvantaged neighborhoods have poor access to healthy food which can be explained through

associations between the neighborhood food resource environment and residents' health status and body

mass index (BMI) for adults with and without chronic conditions (Brown, A. 2008). Brown’s study has

come up with results that show an association between local food environment and health status and BMI

of the people. The association varied on the basis of chain supermarkets or convenience stores, the former

reporting better health than the latter. The impact of built environment is also evident in the amount of

physical activity that people engage in. There is an increasing trend in reduced physical activity among

Americans and the lack of suitable physical environment is often a contributing factor. In Curitiba, Brazil,

a study looked at the relationship between built environment and recreational physical activity. They

concluded that adults who live in areas with higher income level, higher number of gyms and nearby

recreation sports and leisure centers were more likely to meet the daily exercise recommendations

compared to adults living in areas without those characteristics (Adriano, A.F.H. 2011). The negative

health impacts of poor city planning are most pronounced in the sprawl type of development prevalent

across the United States. Urban sprawl focuses on the adverse health and environmental effects of urban

growth into areas beyond the inner cities. Sprawl type of development increases air pollution due to

increased driving; it reduces physical activity opportunities, increases temperature by creating heat

islands, increases motor vehicle crashes, pedestrian injuries and fatalities, affects water quality and

quantity, impacts mental health, and reduces social capital. The burden of poor health is most on the

vulnerable population and health effects of sprawl are unevenly distributed (Frumkin, H. 2002). Housing

is yet another built environment feature that has an important influence on the well being of the people.

For instance, quality of housing plays an important role in causing childhood asthma in urban

communities. Asthma among children is more pronounced in low socio economic communities with poor

housing characteristics. Studies have shown that children living in public housing, which are assigned for

poor people, have higher odds of asthma than children living in all types of private housing, even after

adjusting for individual risk factors for asthma such as minority ethnicity, race, living in a low-income

household, and living in a low-income community (Northridge, J. 2010). In the United States, several

pedestrian fatalities and injuries are caused due to urban designs which prioritize driving rather than

walking. This has lead researchers to look at the relationship between built environment and injury

prevalence. It has been observed that most of the pedestrian injuries can be avoided by modifying the

environment. One particular study examined how perceived and actual crash risk are related with each

other and with respect to built environmental characteristics. The result was that, residents living in low

density neighborhoods were more likely to perceive their neighborhood as dangerous relative to residents

of compact, mixed-use neighborhoods even though the latter displayed higher actual crash rates. Hence,

from a policy standpoint, more attention and proactive interventions from planners are necessary in

suburban areas since these areas have high-perceived risks (Gihyoug, C. 2009). Design solutions which

aim at improving transportation and safety can also encourage active living. It is important to identify

planning strategies prioritizing health and active living. There is evidence supporting the fact that creating

choices for transportation and recreation can effectively address traffic congestion, air quality and other

health affecting issues. Active living environments can provide greater opportunities for regular physical

activity without planning for it. In an environment supporting active living, provisions for physical

activity will be readily and safely available in the surrounding environment. An active living environment

provide opportunities to be physically active when one walks out of the front door of the home, office or

school (Killingsworth, R. R., 2003). Most of the built environment issues such as those related to housing

and transportation, have policy goals which are implemented through legislation. Policies can either

contribute to or negatively affect human health. Some policy impediments could include unaffordable

housing and health investment that light lead to unwanted costs, unclear statutory authority and resulting

gaps in responsibility for housing, indoor air, and the built environment. On the other hand, local

programs can effectively build healthy homes capacity through local laws and housing codes (Jacob, D.

2007). The study suggests that policymakers in the US should adopt a prevention-oriented,

comprehensive multidisciplinary approach at all levels of government with the aim to prevent unhealthy

buildings, houses, and communities. An important tool to determine the impact of built environment

features on public health is to conduct a health impact assessment of a future project or program. The

concept of a health impact assessment (HIA) is fairly new and is catching up but this is a powerful

methodology to determine the health consequences of particular decisions. Projects and policies affecting

human health take place regularly in the US. HIAs can provide the best available data to decision makers

to inform them about the health impacts of their decisions.HIA is capable of identifying the impacts of

proposed policy and infrastructure changes, utilizing quantitative and non quantitative analyses which

allows health outcomes to be appropriately factored into complex decisions (Dannenberg, A. 2008). The

future of built environment and human health will become all the more challenging with emerging issues

such as climate change and global warming. Climate related health issues are location specific; therefore,

places with hazardous exposure will bear a greater burden than others. Climate change will disturb

ecologic, cultural, and economic relationships and also the conceptions of place (Jeremy, J.H., 2008).

Factors like sea-level rise, movement of ecologic transition zones, and economic damage of regions and

communities, might complicate human relationships with place. The study also explains why it would be

hard to maintain human relationship with place if there is loss of ecology that established the relationship.

Health benefits from contact with nature through parks and trails and livable streets:

Percentage of green space in an area generally has a positive relationship with good health. But this

association might depend on the degree of urbanity and level of deprivation in the area. The quantity

alone cannot determine whether there will be a positive influence, the quality of the green space plays a

crucial role in determining how much of that space can be used by the people. In low income

neighborhoods it is often noticed that parks and play areas are municipal owned and are not well

maintained. In a situation like that, larger number of poor quality green space might have a worse effect

on the population (Mitchell, 2007). Parks and outdoor recreation facilities play an important role in

addressing chronic health issues such as obesity and overweight by providing infrastructure which

supports physical activity. A county level study in Oregon supports evidence from previous literature that

obesity has a negative association with participation in non motorized trail based recreational activities

such as hiking. Healthier counties have higher number of active residents and the supply of and demand

for recreation activities is associated with physically active people. This kind of evidence can help

decision makers to provide more access to green space and outdoor recreation in areas lacking them so as

to encourage people to engage in physical activity and live a healthier life (Rosenberger, 2009). A

Glasgow study looked into factors which determine why people choose to use or not use local public

green space. If a green space is walkable and well connected, it was perceived to enhance social cohesion

at a community level. A feeling of integration and inclusion reduced barriers to park use such as presence

of anti social activity. The study concluded that apart from providing high quality resources such as parks,

footpaths, activities and lighting, enhanced social cohesion will increase access to green space and as a

result promote health and well being (Seaman, 2010). Design interventions which aim at motorist’s safety

often have opposite effects on the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists. Human behavior is associated with

built environment features which might be a cause of pedestrian injuries due to crash. One particular

study looked at whether injuries are caused by random errors or are the result of built environment

characteristics. There was a stronger association between crashes and characteristics of the built

environment. It suggests that urban designs that balance tensions between vehicle speeds and traffic

conflicts can enhance pedestrian and cyclists safety as well safety of the motorists (Dumbaugh, 2011).

The concept of ‘Street Reclaiming’ is an interesting feature in built environment modifications promoting

health. This concept refers to people taking control of streets from automobile domination creating livable

streets and vibrant communities. Streets can be a place to play and socialize. According to Engwicht, it

should start with traffic reduction, designing themes such as entryway, canopy ceilings, and street

furniture. The residents should agree to abide by the rules of a Traffic Reduction Treaty which will make

them more responsible while driving and allow them to share street space with people walking and

biking. Physical improvements like traffic circles, raised intersections, speed breakers, landscaping to

enhance aesthetics, and adding interesting features can determine the driving behaviors and reduce road

injuries from traffic (Hinkelman, 1997).

Image 1. Google image of Hurt Park; Downtown Atlanta. Retrieved on April 18th

, 2012

Hurt Park at Georgia State University is a small green space in Downtown Atlanta. The ownership of the

park is shared between Georgia State University and the City of Atlanta2.Hurt Park is in the triangle

between Edgewood Avenue, Courtland Street, and Gilmer Street. This park opened in 1940 and was

among one of the first parks in Downtown Atlanta. It represented one of the great achievements of Mayor

William B. Hartsfield’s first administration. Hurt Park is named after banker, real estate and streetcar

developer Joel Hurt. The park and its fountain were funded partly by the Woodruff Foundation and were

designed by the noted landscape architect William C. Pauley. They were one of downtown Atlanta's

principal attractions during the 1940s and 1950s3.

In spite of being located in a popular area in Downtown Atlanta close to the Georgia State campus, the

park is underutilized. It is thronged by homeless people who make it less attractive to others. There is not

enough lighting which is a safety concern. The fountain, which used to be one of its major attractions, is

non functional. In a nutshell, the Park has a lot of potential to be used for recreation as well as a space for

relaxation but due to lack of maintenance and important safety concerns, the Park is underutilized.

2 http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM20JM_Hurt_Park_at_Georgia_State_University_Atlanta_Ga

3 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurt_Park_%28Atlanta%29

Image 2. Proposed design of Hurt Park; Downtown Atlanta.

The reviews for Hurt Park in the Yelp website4 give us a pretty good idea how unpopular the Park is

among general public although many would love to spend time in the Park. One of the reviewers

mentions, ‘Hurt Park punches me in the stomach and knocks the breath out of me in springtime per the

blazing red buds that bloom along its edge. While the homeless population tends to aggregate at Hurt

Park, I've had pleasant lunchtime experiences here, although seating is admittedly limited’.

The proposed design is for reviving the lost glory of Hurt Park and making it more attractive and

functional for people who work or study in the neighboring area. To give a boost to the Park, the first

design element would include remodeling the existing fountain and adding another water feature which

will be low maintenance. There will be more park benches added so that people can have enough place to

sit and relax while in the Park. The existing walking tracks would be redesigned and a new track would

now run along the periphery of the Park. The Park will now have iron fencing all around with gates in the

three corners. More trees will be added to the existing ones which will provide shade as well as enhance

aesthetics. Pedestrian friendly street lights will now be placed along the boundary which will enhance

safety. The sidewalks will be broadened and environment friendly permeable pavers like Aqua-Bric and

Subterra5 would be used to pave sidewalks and walking/running tracks.

4 http://www.yelp.com/biz/hurt-park-atlanta

5 http://www.greenstonepavers.com/docs/brochr-grnstn-R1.pdf

Image 3. Hurt Park’s ‘Fountain of Light’. Picture taken on March 7, 2012

The Hurt Park’s fountain was a major attraction when it was functional. It was an electric fountain with

seventy-eight bulbs from one hundred watts to fifteen hundred. It played for twenty minutes at a time,

giving numerous changes of pattern and color before it repeated its rainbow symphony. It was designed

by Atlanta sculptor Julian Harris and cost seventeen hundred dollars. This interesting feature was

presented to the city through the Emily and Ernest Woodruff Foundation from Boylston's Atlanta - Its

Lore, Legends and Laughter6.

Presently, the fountain is non-functional. It poses a health threat to the people using the park since there is

standing water which is breeding ground for mosquitoes if not treated regularly. Standing water can also

have issues such as algae formation, and foul odors. Aesthetically this fountain does not look attractive.

There is no seating area around the fountain as well where people can socialize or relax. The flower beds

and shrubs around the fountain are not pruned regularly and hence, they do not grow as intended. The non

functional lights which used to be a part of the display are now an eyesore and leave people wondering

why they are still there.

6 http://jolomo.net/atlanta/hurt-fountain.html

Image 4. Redesigned Fountain at Hurt Park

The proposed design for the fountain will eliminate the light bulbs since the fountain of light does not

operate anymore. The new design does not propose restarting the lights display because it is expensive

and therefore not sustainable. Instead, there will be a simple water fountain which will be easier to

maintain. Soft music can be played at the background during daytime which will give it a dramatic effect

while still being simple and relaxing. The fountain will provide people with hours of relaxation and

enjoyment. To make it more environment friendly, the water used for the fountain can be recycled water

from the University.

A water feature adds a focal point to any space. If properly landscaped, it can attract birds and butterflies

which is a great sight in itself. Various species of fish can thrive in the shallow pond beneath the water

feature. It also adds a cool spot to hang during summer. The new design will introduce an additional water

feature, as seen in the image. This will be a long, shallow (about 3 feet deep) water tank which will be in

the form of an arc in front of the new fountain model. The tank will have broad concrete walls whose tops

can serve as seating space (similar to what we see in Woodruff Park). Aquatic plants such as water lily

and lotus will add to the aesthetics of the tank. Several fish species which can live in shallow water bodies

can be introduced in the tank which will be another attractive feature. Student volunteers from the

Georgia State University can take responsibility of the aquatic life in the water tank. There will be more

shade trees planted along the tank and fountain so as to reduce loss of water through evaporation.

Image 5. Unmaintained lawn at Hurt Park. Picture taken on March 7, 2012

A major issue with the Hurt Park is its lack of maintenance. As evident from the picture, the grass cover

of the lawn is thin and thatchy. The lawn lacks much needed attention which could make the park look

greener and more appealing. Unmaintained lawn or parks like the one above can encourage growth of

lawn spurs, prevalent in southern states in the United States. Lawn spurs, also produce prickly hardened

seed husks which can stick to clothing and skin. They are difficult to spot; as a result, people

unknowingly step on sharp lawn spurs when they are barefoot or wearing sandals. The outer surface of

the spur has small spikes that readily penetrate the skin and may cause considerable pain7. Maintaining a

healthy lawn can prevent lawn spurs from invading but this needs regular attention. Since regular mowing

and de-weeding might not be a sustainable procedure, low maintenance, no mow grass seeds can be used

instead. One can purchase this kind of grass which will be low in maintenance because of its moisture

holding capacity and only grow 1 to 6 inches high which will eliminate frequent mowing. The No Mow

Grass Seed requires no chemicals to maintain it, and the thick grass cover prevents weeds from reaching

the ground to sprout. Moreover, the suppliers claim that the grass seed reduce pest control because

common hiding spots are eliminated8.

7 http://www.ehow.com/info_8758598_dangers-lawn-spurs.html

8 http://nomowgrass.com/

Image 6. New walking and running trails along with additional park benches.

The existing paved trails in the park do not facilitate running and walking. They are mostly used as

thoroughfares from one corner of the park to the other. The new design proposes trails that will rum all

around the periphery of the park which will be approximately 0.3 miles in length. Some of the tracks will

also extend through the center of the Park for people who might just want to walk in the park. This will

open up opportunities for people, especially GSU students to engage in physical activities such as running

or jogging, as well as a leisurely stroll in the park. Late spring and summer is usually the best time to

spend outdoors and enjoy contact with nature.

As pointed out earlier, the Park currently does not have enough seating places such as benches which

discourage people from spending time over here. The new design proposes several new park benches

which will be naturally resistant to weather elements. These will be placed all along the trail as well as

close to the fountain. Due to presence of shade trees and now a well maintained lawn, more people can be

expected to spend time in the Park, playing, reading, socializing or exercising. Among various activities,

Georgia State University can arrange for outdoor classes during late spring or early fall. This space can

also be used for arranging music festivals by the students or local musicians. Moreover, the space can be

used to organize food drives for the homeless people in Downtown Atlanta by the students and staff of the

University.

Image 7. Gilmer Street segment along Hurt Park. Picture taken on March 7, 2012

The Gilmer street in front of the GSU campus permits one way traffic and is a two lane road with on

street parking provisions on both sides. The traffic volume in this particular street segment is much lower

than the other two segments-Edgewood Avenue and Courtland Street. One of the major safety concerns of

this street is that students who are coming from the Edgewood Avenue side through the Hurt Park tend to

cross the street midway where there are no crosswalks to enter the Arts and Humanities building as well

as the Sparks Hall. The street has some potential which can make it interesting as well as attractive to the

student community. For instance, this street has a high pedestrian traffic which can attract local food

business such as food trucks and food vendors. Unlike Aderhold Hall on Luckie Street, which has several

eating joints convenient to the students, this side of the GSU campus lack any such facility. The nearest

eating place is the Panther Den located within University Center. Moreover, the street becomes deserted

after normal School hours which are a safety issue for students who have classes till late in the evening or

who stay back in the library to study till late. Being adjacent to the Hurt Park, the street is perceived

unsafe by many students because of the homeless people in and around the Park. One student mentioned,

‘Ahhhhh Hurt Park! Where homeless people hangout and mess with us Georgia State Univ. students!!9’

9 http://www.yelp.com/biz/hurt-park-atlanta

Image 8. Redesigned Gilmer Street segment along Hurt Park portraying a livable street concept

Cities across the country are taking charge of their streets and are coming up with toolkits which support

designs that can make streets places to linger and places to cherish10

. As pointed out above, the Gilmer

Street segment in between Hurt park and Georgia State campus has the potential to be converted into a

similar space which is livable, lively, aesthetically appealing, functional as well as safe. To create such a

space, it can be proposed that the street be converted to a no motor vehicle space for a couple of days in

the week during which time the street will be a gathering place for people to interact, socialize and enjoy

some outdoor time with friends. Since food trucks are now legal in Georgia, and there are several of them

in places like Midtown, we can introduce the concept of street food culture on the GSU campus on

Tuesdays and Fridays when there will be vendors like Yumbii food truck11

, Sandwich Buddha, Nectar and

Ultracakery12

. There will also be provisions for outdoor seating on the street and other road side stalls

such as fresh fruit vendors and florists. Since on street parking on Gilmer Street is a source of revenue for

the City, it is not feasible to completely block this segment from motor vehicles for all days of the week.

Moreover, one of the University parking lots has its exit on this street. Considering that loss of revenue

will not be an acceptable proposal and to reduce inconvenience, the proposal will initially target two days

a week and depending on its success and acceptance, alternative but convenient parking arrangements can

be made in the future and this livable street concept can be extended to cover all seven days.

10

http://www.planetizen.com/node/40394 11

http://www.foodtrucktalk.com/category/georgia 12

http://www.atlantastreetfood.com/

Image 9. Courtland Street segment. Picture taken on March 7th, 2012

The above image represents the four lanes Courtland Street which is a high vehicular traffic zone. The

pedestrian traffic is also high because this section of the street has the Alumni Hall. The crosswalks are

located on the two ends of the segment, intersections of Courtland and Gilmer and Courtland and

Edgewood. It is a common sight that students as well as GSU staff often cross the street in between where

there are no crosswalks. In spite of being a broad street for one way traffic, there is no assigned bike lane

on this street. The street also has on street parking provisions. Due to all these factors, the Courtland street

segment is a potential safety hazard for pedestrians. The drivers rarely drive within the prescribed speed

limit.

As pointed out by Dumbaugh in his article Designing for the Safety of Pedestrians, Cyclists, and

Motorists in Urban Environment, design solutions which aim to improve pedestrian safety and safety of

motorists do not go hand in hand. Instead, it is commonly understood that traffic crashes are the result of

random driver error. But there is a possibility that the behavior of drivers can be modified if certain

characteristics of the built environment are changed to facilitate pedestrian safety (Dumbaugh, 2011). The

streets should be designed in a manner which makes driving on a high pedestrian traffic area slow by

default. The streets should facilitate sharing road space with non motorized modes of transport such as

bicycles and the streets design should make everyone feel safe to use it.

Image 10. Redesigned Courtland Street segment prioritizing pedestrian safety

As mentioned above, the traffic on Courtland Street segment can be calmed by adopting some design

modifications. Currently it is a four lanes street with one way traffic, the new proposal suggests

transforming it into a two lanes street with a median and crosswalks in the middle. Usually medians are a

common feature in a two way road but this can be introduced as a traffic calming feature in this particular

segment. A median barrier will help to reduce traffic speed by reducing the number of lanes. There will

be on-street parking facility on either side of the segment and the lanes can now be shared by both motor

vehicles and bikes. For the safety of bicyclists, proper road signs will be provided which will make the

drivers aware of the shared road concept.

By reducing the number of lanes, with on street parking and a median, traffic speed will automatically

reduce making drivers more conscious of pedestrians on the street. Introducing an additional crosswalk in

between, conveniently located in front of the Alumni hall, will reduce the probability of pedestrians to

attempt an unsafe crossing to the other side of the road. The median will narrow the lanes and will also

provide the pedestrians with a safe place to stop. The median can be landscaped with decorative plants

which will make the street look more attractive and will also provide some shade.

Image 11. Edgewood Avenue segment. Picture taken on March 12th

, 2012

The Edgewood Avenue segment is a four lanes street with two ways traffic. It is one of the busiest streets

in Downtown Atlanta extending from Five Points Marta station to Inman Park Reynolds Town Marta

station. This segment of the street houses Hurt Park on one side and buildings such as the Woodruff

Volunteer Service center on the other. Due to its proximity to the Georgia State campus, there is high

pedestrian traffic on this street. As is evident from the above picture, there are no crosswalks mid

intersection; crosswalks are located at the Peachtree Center intersection and at the Courtland Street

intersection. As a result, people whose destination is the Woodruff Volunteer Service center, tend to cross

the street in between. This is more dangerous than the Courtland Street segment because the traffic is two

ways over here and cars are most often than not speeding. Crossing roadways without medians can be

dangerous. There is evidence that the pedestrian crash risk for crossing the arterial road without a median

was 6.48 times higher than for crossing the arterial with a median13

. The likelihood of pedestrian–vehicle

collision increases with the number of lanes and road width. Retrofitting or narrowing the roads might be

able to reduce the risk of pedestrian crashes (Ukkusuri, S. 2011). Traffic calming techniques such as

narrower lanes, medians, crosswalks can benefit pedestrians by slowing down cars and reducing the

volume at a given point in time.

13

http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/tools_solve/medians_trifold/#footnote_01 Source: Wilson, Petritsch, Quantifying Countermeasure Effectiveness—Orlando, FL, PBIC, November 2008.

Image 12. Edgewood Avenue segment redesigned.

The most important feature of the Edgewood Avenue is that it is part of the Downtown Loop of the

Atlanta Streetcar project. This segment of the Streetcar will have a single track running eastward from

Pryor Street to Jackson Street. As part of the project there will be features such as enhanced streetcar

stops with kiosks, lighting, benches, and trash cans. The pedestrian facilities will be upgraded such as

wider sidewalks, new crosswalks, etc. Striped bicycle lanes, sharrows and innovative intersection

treatments will facilitate bicycling. The project also will also include upgraded traffic signals systems14

.

In addition to the Streetcar project, the Edgewood Avenue traffic can be calmed by introducing a median

in place of the existing left turn lane to Peachtree Center between two way traffic. This will keep the

number of lanes effectively same but with a median on the street, the general tendency of drivers will be

to slow down. The Streetcar, bikes and cars sharing the same lanes will be another contributing factor

towards slower traffic. It can be anticipated that with the Downtown loop becoming functional in the near

future, people currently driving Downtown might be less reliant on personal cars and instead take the

Streetcar to reach their destination. The Streetcar project also suggests upgrading pedestrian safety with

new crosswalks. A mid intersection crosswalk on this segment might make crossing the street safer and

convenient.

14

http://www.atlantadowntown.com/initiatives/atlanta-streetcar

Image 13. Installing iron gates at the three corners along with an iron fence will enhance the safety of

the park.

Urban parks like the Hurt Park are often places of criminal activity and people feel unsafe especially

during off peak hours. This is mostly because urban parks are difficult to police and unless there is some

major criminal incident, the city police do not consider them as a priority. Natural vegetation in parks

obstructs surveillance, and installing closed circuit television (CCTV) might not often be a feasible option

or be able to cover the whole park. Common criminal activities in urban parks are disorderly youth in

public places, drug dealing in open-air markets, graffiti, illicit sexual activity in public places,

panhandling, people with mental illness, and underage drinking (Hilborn, 2009). Some of these activities

have also been observed by park goers in Hurt Park15

.

Parks are enclosed by a boundary barrier such as a wall or a fence. Some can even have an entrance gate

which can be locked after park hours. This kind of design features can enhance safety of parks by making

them difficult to access after it is closed by people who engage in illegal activities in such places. The

fence or boundary along with the gate should not be solid which can obstruct view and make people

inside the park feel isolated and vulnerable. Iron gates and fences can be good alternatives to solve this

problem. Building gates make create a perception that the place is safer.

15

http://www.yelp.com/biz/hurt-park-atlanta

Image 14. Introducing amenities like public restrooms and drinking water fountains make a public

space more attractive and functional

Design recommendations for existing Downtown parks and open spaces like the Hurt Park should include

providing amenities so as to increase their usability. One of the most important amenities a park should

have is public restrooms. People would not like to spend longer hours in parks if it did not have decent

restrooms. The restrooms should also be Americans with Disability Act (ADA) approved so that every

section of the society can use it without difficulty. The Woodruff Park, also in Downtown Atlanta, has

such a restroom which might be one of the reasons why it draws more park users than Hurt Park.

Moreover, if Gilmer Street is opened to street food vendors and food trucks during the week, a restroom

will become more important and convenient for the crowd who want to spend their time outside enjoying

nature.

Another important amenity in any park should be the availability of drinking water. People who might be

using the park for exercise or just sit there on a warm sunny day would appreciate drinking water

fountains located at convenient spots. Presently, there are a couple of water fountains in Hurt Park but

they are non-functional. New water fountains will be introduced in the redesign plan to make the park

users stay more comfortable.

Image 15. Using energy efficient solar lighting in the Park and planting more trees

Park lighting is an important safety feature. But it is often expensive to install enough lights in parks. A

growing trend in outdoor lighting has been solar powered lights which are sustainable, environment

friendly and most importantly the source of energy is free. It can save thousands of dollars over

traditional park lights when installed16

. Not only is it a green alternative to traditional lights, it also

reduces risks of fire, do not emit any hazardous fumes or chemicals and reduces air pollution making the

surroundings healthier.

To enhance the greenery in Hurt Park, the modified design will include planting more trees all along the

periphery of the Park. This will not only enhance the aesthetics of the Park but will also benefit health.

Studies have shown that human health is positively affected by greenery. The Landscape and Human

Health Laboratory (LHHL) at the University of Chicago, Urbana Champaign studies the connection

between greenery and human health. They examine the impacts of natural features such as trees, grass,

flowers, and green spaces on safety, crime, violence, and aggression; strength of community; well-being,

coping, vitality and attention, self-control, and learning17

. Trees in particular act as urban green filters

from small polluting particles due to traffic exhausts in urban settings (Meulen, 2011).

16

http://www.solarlighting.com/applications/parks-and-recreation 17

http://lhhl.illinois.edu/

Conclusion:

Urban parks and streets like the Hurt Park and its surrounding area have a lot of potentials for

development which can make them more livable and vibrant. A few design modifications like the ones

discussed above can transform an otherwise underutilized and dull space into an active living

environment. Urban parks are often perceived as unsafe if they are not used more frequently and this can

result in unused space which encourage anti social activities. Similarly, reclaiming streets to make them

more attractive and welcoming, like the Gilmer Street design proposal, will promote social interaction and

help building a social capital which in turn promotes health. The students of Georgia State University can

have an opportunity to interact with each other on a livable street, they can organize social events like

music festivals, art competitions, food drives for homeless people, fairs in this redesigned space which

will transform it into a more vibrant community. With enhanced activities, the Park area will also be more

functional and have increased number of users which will make it a safer place. The walking trails can

provide opportunity for physical activity as well as a place to relax and enjoy. The upcoming Streetcar

project on Edgewood Avenue will promote active living and reduce reliance on cars. The street

modifications will reduce traffic volume and speed, improving pedestrian safety.

It can be concluded that a design proposal like the one discussed here have a potential to transform that

part of the Georgia State campus. Factoring in the budget and financial requirements for a project of this

scale can serve as a model design for other similar projects in the City. This will be an example of how

built environment modifications can include physical and mental health promotion in our daily lifestyle.

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