Date of Submission
Spring 5-7-2023
Degree Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Architecture
Department
Architecture
Committee Chair/First Advisor
Ermal Shpuza
Abstract
The heart of Atlanta, a prosperous tourist destination brimming with life, has found itself containing areas that have been commercially cut off from inner-city connections in contradiction to being in a heavy transit area. Atlanta’s longstanding history of inhabiting smaller sub-cities inside a larger context that houses a constantly growing population has become overshadowed by traffic, underutilized spaces that create massive voids, and fragmentation which prevents the city’s unification. Core Connections focuses on creating a mixed-use development comprised of parking, retail, and office that reconnects the surrounding contents of Downtown Atlanta and repairs the area as the city’s core. Core Connections will highlight the product of a strategic balance in prioritizing pedestrian flow by creating an environmentally rich layout that allows pedestrians to escape the hustle and bustle of Downtown Atlanta and draws visitors into the area. Creating a mixed-use development with pedestrian access and flow as its primary focus elevates the surrounding contexts of the chosen site to meet the existing urban expectations of Downtown Atlanta on an equal level. The intersectionality between the mixed-use development and Atlanta’s existing infrastructure will fill the hole that has gone unchecked in the city’s center for years. The objectives for the proposal shall occur at Underground Atlanta, directly across from the Five Points Marta Station. Redesigning the area will extend the existing commercial retail market to meet the street, develop an open-air plaza for leisure activity, and reconstruct the infrastructure for pedestrian walkability. These changes will effectively redefine Underground Atlanta’s flow, giving the area a much-needed uplift to Atlanta’s rich culture and history. Core Connections brings together social practices to achieve equity, equality, diversity, and inclusiveness at the highest levels of urbanization. This proposal will ultimately answer the questions concerning downtown Atlanta’s land configuration, the fading of downtown Atlanta’s rich history due to exterior conditions, the distinguishing factors which led to Underground Atlanta’s decline, and the existing conditions that determine if Underground Atlanta will remain an influential location to visit and socialize.