Neighborhoods from the EPA's EJ ScreenTool
https://www.epa.gov/ejscreen
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Through rigorous and accurate historic documentation and interpretation that features diverse perspectives, including the narratives of historically marginalized populations, research efforts have the incredible responsibility of drawing attention to the people, places, and stories of America, especially its darker and hidden histories, to cultivate new generations of well-informed citizens and enable communities to protect their invaluable heritage while enacting generative redevelopment efforts that support Elefante’s concept that, “the greenist building is the one already built.” As interpretive immersion technologies advance through digital archives, collections, and databases, so do options for layered, interactive models that can advance the potential of heritage BIM (building information modeling). Incorporating these innovative interpretative methodologies for documentation and public engagement, this project will capture key heritage sites in the English Avenue and Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Atlanta. Some of this documentation work is already underway, but the efforts need to be expanded and expeditated due to development pressures. Historic sites are being lost at an alarming rate, despite community efforts, therefore this project has the potential to capture sites at risk and raise the visibility of the valuable architectural character of the area as well as the associated narratives that make these neighborhoods so instrumental to civil rights history, urban settlement, and labor movements in Atlanta.
Focusing on Atlanta’s westside, this project connects neighborhoods with vastly different historical foundations but shared future challenges. English Avenue, for example, was founded by James English as a white middle class neighborhood, and its patron was simultaneously mayor of Atlanta (1881-1883) founder of the convict-labor dependent Chattahoochee Brick Company (f. 1878). Neighborhood demographics shifted in the mid-20th century and now approximately 44% of homes in area are vacant, with two-thirds of the residents living below the federal poverty line. To the south, is Pittsburgh. Founded by a formerly enslaved community in 1883, this neighborhood became a Black-working class suburb along the active railways, with industrial and air quality conditions reminiscent of its northern moniker. As community leaders relay, there has been little investment in the area since the first terms of major Maynard Jackson (1974-1982). There are urgent neighborhood concerns in the area, from the existing service deserts and housing crises to hydrology challenges exacerbated by climate change and mounting, external development pressures. Through community development and land use framework plans, as well as active grassroots organizations, there are initiatives in place to prioritize the success and economic growth of current residents and foster a new generation of engaged citizens through positive change. The role of preservation within iconic sites and corridors of these neighborhoods is, however, less clear. Through a research study that identifies key structures and contextual historic narratives, it will be possible to fully integrate the needs of the community with plans for interventions that center preservation, restoration, and rehabilitation projects. This proposal stitches place, memory, and progress: architectural documentation and research alongside preservation workshops will bring the community together, fostering and supporting pride of place and sparking a network for new dialogues and entrepreneurialism. |
Click on an image above for a larger view of data from the EJ Screen Tool report for the area.
In an area highly subject to the effects of climate change due to the increased severity of storms and extant stormwater management issues, a digital twin will form an invaluable record for future preservation and ongoing restoration efforts. Data has been captured with high-resolution terrestrial LiDAR (3D scanning) and aerial photogrammetry using UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles, e.g., drones), documenting physical conditions using traditional survey techniques guided by Historic American Building Survey (HABS) methods.
Partnering with community leaders, a series of sponsored workshops and resulting web interface will meld the technical aspects of site study with valuable archival research, historical narratives, and new oral histories that enliven neighborhood records and build a platform for sustainable reinvestment projects the prioritize preservation, adaptive reuse, and exiting community and commercial resources. These workshops will explore preservation practices on wood, stone, and concrete, exploring minimally invasive techniques that are low cost, historically appropriate, follow the Secretary of the Interior Standards, mitigate water damage, and help enhance maintenance and energy performance. With hands-on workshops, these efforts will be essential opportunities for job training and community-led preservation. The lessens and methods from the workshops will be carefully documented, diagrammed, and didactically presented on the online interface, making them available to communities and the public at large.
In addition to hosting the team’s digital documentation of key sites and corridors, captured with LiDAR, drone imagery, and 360-photography, a new website will feature a multi-modal approach will generate an immersive tour, complete with audio and video material that link to both the rich archives of the area (e.g., Sanborn maps, historic images, etc.) and newly captured oral histories. The website will also feature historic documentation, conservation practices, historic narratives, and preservation-centric development information through text, original drawings and models, interactive imagery, and videos. This breadth of modality will help reach audiences from different age groups and visual literacy levels. Because of the self-guided aspects of the platform, allowing community members and visitors to explore the neighborhood information at their desired depth of engagement and pace, the platform will be easily approachable for vested parties, students, history enthusiasts, and those in fields related to the built environment, alike. To ensure full accessibility, all the team's original oral history videos also have captions.
This project partners with community leaders and leverages several existing community and non-profit relationships: the Atlanta Preservation Center, the Pittsburgh Collaborative, the Flourishing Communities Collaborative (2023 ACSA Collaborative Practice Award), The Beloved Community, Inc., the King Park within the National Park Service, and Landmark Preservation.
Partnering with community leaders, a series of sponsored workshops and resulting web interface will meld the technical aspects of site study with valuable archival research, historical narratives, and new oral histories that enliven neighborhood records and build a platform for sustainable reinvestment projects the prioritize preservation, adaptive reuse, and exiting community and commercial resources. These workshops will explore preservation practices on wood, stone, and concrete, exploring minimally invasive techniques that are low cost, historically appropriate, follow the Secretary of the Interior Standards, mitigate water damage, and help enhance maintenance and energy performance. With hands-on workshops, these efforts will be essential opportunities for job training and community-led preservation. The lessens and methods from the workshops will be carefully documented, diagrammed, and didactically presented on the online interface, making them available to communities and the public at large.
In addition to hosting the team’s digital documentation of key sites and corridors, captured with LiDAR, drone imagery, and 360-photography, a new website will feature a multi-modal approach will generate an immersive tour, complete with audio and video material that link to both the rich archives of the area (e.g., Sanborn maps, historic images, etc.) and newly captured oral histories. The website will also feature historic documentation, conservation practices, historic narratives, and preservation-centric development information through text, original drawings and models, interactive imagery, and videos. This breadth of modality will help reach audiences from different age groups and visual literacy levels. Because of the self-guided aspects of the platform, allowing community members and visitors to explore the neighborhood information at their desired depth of engagement and pace, the platform will be easily approachable for vested parties, students, history enthusiasts, and those in fields related to the built environment, alike. To ensure full accessibility, all the team's original oral history videos also have captions.
This project partners with community leaders and leverages several existing community and non-profit relationships: the Atlanta Preservation Center, the Pittsburgh Collaborative, the Flourishing Communities Collaborative (2023 ACSA Collaborative Practice Award), The Beloved Community, Inc., the King Park within the National Park Service, and Landmark Preservation.
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The westside of Atlanta, Georgia, is home to numerous community anchors richly rooted in the stories of legacy residents. It also includes significant places tied to Southern history and the major actors of the Modern Civil Rights Movement. However, it is also a built landscape with the layered histories of convict labor, such as Whittier Mill (left) and the affiliated project featured on the Dancer Citizen.
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Working collaboratively to honor erased histories, these investigations contribute to Atlanta’s documentary record for preservation advocacy and public outreach, studying sites through unprecedented 3D scanning, photogrammetry, and archival research. Working alongside K-12 and collegiate students from first year to PhD level, these methods demystify digital documentation technologies and allow students to address critical questions of conservation and restoration, as well as community-grounded fieldwork, especially at contested sites. Furthermore, endeavors in digital documentation and focused research can be cost-prohibitive for certain sites, especially in underserved areas, so this truly is a service-learning endeavor in preservation.
The following pages explore aspects of the westside in further depth:
