Ending with a touch of comedy! - Vikrum Sheorey

Great analysis on that image Sheng! In continuing with our assessment of suburbia in different mediums, I will now move onto comedy! The video above is a parody of a suburban sprawl. The creator of the video does a good job matching elements of the song and video with the negative aspects of suburban sprawl.

One set of lyrics that really stands out is the following:

"All the people here buy stuff to impress you
All the streets looks just like A hundred others do
Applebee's is my idea of ethnic food
That's just where I come from, my hood!"

These lyrics really speak to the conformity and the consumerism that permeate throughout suburban culture. The line about Applebee's being considered ethnic really highlights the conformity.

Littered throughout the video are references to Big Box retail such as Walmart, Target, etc. These stores combined with the imagery of the Hummer and the miles of pavements humorous bring to light the issues that make sprawl such a prevalent problem.

Anyways I hope you had fun watching the video and more importantly reading our blog. This blog is the summation of many weeks of writing and I hope that you enjoyed reading all of our insights into suburban culture and other things!

-Vikrum Sheorey

Suburbia Image - Sheng Zhao

Wow! Covering sprawl from both the movie's perspective and music's perspective is truly impressive. I guess I will have to match it with picture's perspective.

This shocking image seems quite familiar to most of us. It is suburban sprawl. Roads could be paved narrow and straight, yet suburban developer made it wide and windy like a maze. Big old trees were torn down to have an empty field and then tiny trees were sparsely placed between houses. Back alley is no where to be seen, yet the large double size garage door is visible from any angle. Unless you want to walk with cars, the only way to get to anywhere outside of your house requires a car because side walks do not exist here. There is hardly any way to differentiate your house and somebody else because the only difference is the number next to your door. Unfortunately, this kind of residential life style is still expanding...

We need to bring it to a stop!

~Sheng Zhao

Suburbia in Films - Vikrum Sheorey

Staying with my last post about suburbia in music, I thought I would take a look at suburbia in films as well. The first film that came to mind was Edward Scissorhands. I remembered that in the movie the suburbs were portrayed like the 1960's stereotypes. While the suburbs are getting more and more ethnically diverse, it seems as though they are still relatively culturally diverse. The suburbs are usually filled with people who work 9-5 jobs and desire the quiet, isolated life.

Edward Scissorhands is a movie that displays the downfall of this conformity. When something or someone different like Edward is introduced to a homogeneous society like the suburbs, chaos breaks out. However the message that the movie sends is much deeper. Although Edward is very different from the residents, he is appreciated by the people when he acts as himself. The problem arises when Edward tries to conform to the society. The best example of this is when he tries to break into the house to help his friends. Edward gets in trouble and the whole situation spirals downwards from there.

A more in-depth analysis of how Edward Scissorhands makes claims about suburban conformity can be found here: http://www.leland.k12.mi.us/tim01c.html

- Vikrum Sheorey

Green Day's Jesus of Suburbia - Vikrum Sheorey

When we first learned about the concept of suburbia, I was instantly reminded of the song "Jesus of Suburbia" by Green Day. Now having learned more about the negatives of suburbia, I can fully comprehend the lyrics that Green Day has written. For instance the lines,

"
Get my television fix sitting on my crucifix
The living room or my private womb,"

speak to how sheltered suburbia and how addicted its residents are to their televisions. Referring to the living room as a private womb compares the safety of the living room to the safety a mother's womb gives to a child before it is born. This also speaks to the lack of real life experiences suburbanites have. Just as a child in the womb has not yet experienced life and only knows of the world in its immediate surroundings, so do sheltered suburbanites.

Another quote that fits in with what Suburban Nation says is,

"I read the graffiti
In the bathroom stall
Like the holy scriptures of a shopping mall."

These lines focus on how important shopping malls are to suburbanites. Green Day implies that the shopping mall is a holy place that people flock to like a place of worship. The use of the word scriptures implies that the mall controls their lives, because religious scriptures often suggest how one should live.

There are many more references to the negative aspects of suburbia scattered throughout the song. It is a very clever song that one can only appreciate after knowing about suburban issues and closely analyzing the lyrics.

-Vikrum Sheorey

Cabbagetown - Vikrum Sheorey

Great post about Five Points Sheng - your website is really well done and informative! Like Sheng I will be writing about my group's website project. For my group we decided to investigate the historic neighborhood of Cabbagetown.

Cabbagetown proved to be a wild and interesting place. The unique aspect of this town is the sheer overflow of creativity that permeates everywhere. From the graffiti on the walls to the tattoos on the people, there are no limits to creative expression.

The town also hosts many community oriented events like the chomp and stomp chili cookoff as shown in the video below.




All of this fosters a great sense of community that is unique from any other place in Atlanta. To read more about the unique spots in Cabbagetown visit our website at http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~vsheorey3/cabbage

- Vikrum Sheorey

Five Points - Sheng Zhao

Kinza, cool vid! I definitely agree with your statement that Atlantic Station is combating against sprawling. I enjoyed listening to your presentation about how Atlantic Station has a sense of community.

I certainly also want everyone of you who read this post check out my group's website about Five Points, downtown Atlanta. http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~jkim498/5points/.You will find five interesting historical events related to Five Points. They are Railroad in Underground Atlanta, Rich's department store, MARTA, annual peach drop, and statues of phoenix.Five Points has experienced many upsets. After General Sherman and his troops destroyed the city during the Civil War and burning down during the Great Atlanta fire of 1917, Five Points is still able to recover from the ashes like the phoenix. Even though the city right now is in poverty, it could still rise again like it has in the past.

~Sheng Zhao

Bring an End to Suburbia - Sheng Zhao

From the video above, it is obvious that suburbia has cost America too much and it has to be brought to an end.

From the beginning of the video, the fast paced music symbolizes the rapid growth of suburbia sprawl. Cars and clustered houses are the crucial elements in sustaining this kind of life. Sprawl promised Americans with the "American dream" of having individual space, convenience, affordability, and mobility. Everything else seems utterly unimportant to the people living in sprawl.

The suburban lifestyle is no longer sustainable in the twenty-first century as the population continues to grow, gas prices continue to rise, more farmland continue to be developed, and more wasteland continue to be generated. Actions need to be taken right now to avoid the imminent crisis. I'd like to end the post with a quote from the video, "America took all of its postwar wealth and invested in a living arrangement that has no future."

~Sheng Zhao

President Peterson's Editorial - Sheng Zhao

After reading President Peterson's editorial encouraging Georgia Tech students exploring the city around them, I noticed that I barely have any knowledge of the surroundings of Atlanta besides what's on campus. After staying in Atlanta, I feel shameful that I have not visit any of the fantastic places that President Peterson talked about. Now I am inspired to travel around Atlanta and know more about my surroundings.

When President Bud Peterson mentioned the civil rights movement, I understood that the city of Atlanta has very much of historical significance and that we can learn a lot more about Atlanta's history. The artistic side of Atlanta is reflected from the Woodruff Arts Center and that anyone who appreciates art should take a look at this place. The Piedmont Park apparently is a great place people in Atlanta to relax or to have a social gathering. This kind of green space is essential for the development of a neighborhood. All in all, Bud wants to show us that Atlanta is an interesting city and that some many things are waiting for us to be discovered and explored.


View Larger Map

This idea of exploring Atlanta is also suggested from my English 1101. Our first major project is to visit a place in Atlanta and evaluate the neighborhood in details. The purpose is similar, which is to learn about the city and to take advantage of what the city offers. Like Bud said, so many large corporations are located in Atlanta and it is a good opportunity for us college students to interview for job opportunities. This kind of opportunity can never be available for schools in the middle of corn field.

Exploring Atlanta using Zipcars - Vikrum

Most kids who grow up in suburbia are used to driving cars to get wherever they need to go. Now that we are in the city of Atlanta, a car is not as necessary because there are so many options for public transportation. However, public transportation has its shortcomings. It doesn't always go exactly where one would like nor does it go there at an exact time. Public transportation may not be the safest option at certain times of the day either. Enter Zip Cars.

Recently my friends and I rented a zip car explored parts of Atlanta. Zip cars are cars that, after registration, anyone can rent and drive around town. Most have probably seen Zipcars at tech square or elsewhere on campus. Zipcars are picked up and dropped off at designated locations so that the next person can pick up the car. The first thing we did was reserve the car. At the designated time we merely walked to the spot where the car was supposed to be and got in the car. It was as easy as that. The car opens when the Zipcard is help up to the car's windshield as shown below in the following video link (the youtube user has disabled embedding) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WdD1b2FFOc#t=1m02s

Once we finished driving around in the zipcar all we had to do was return it to a designated spot so the next person could use it as well.

It was a very easy and enjoyable experience using Zipcars. They provided a way to get around Atlanta on one's own terms without actually owning a car. Since multiple people can use zipcars it also cuts down on the number of cars in the city, reducing congestion. Zipcars are a great idea and I highly recommend them ot anyone who needs to get around town.

-Vikrum

Public Transportation: Marta vs. Metro - Sheng Zhao

After reading Vikrum's post on Public Transportation, I have some interest thoughts.

Japanese Subway "Pushers"

Public transportation is always an important issue for a metropolitan area and usually big cities like Atlanta and Washington. DC would have subways to transport people from point A to point B. However, the designs of the subways are not the same. Some are better and some are worse...

Also coming from Washington Metropolitan area, I felt a strong connection with Vikrum's comparison between Marta and Metro after reading his blog post. There is no doubt that Marta is way easier to navigate around for a person who has never ridden on subways before. The flat fare allows maximum convenience that people don't have to search around and look for the right ticket price. Also, Metro has a complicated schedule of rush hour and non-rush hour and the price of ticket also depends on whether it is rush hour. The price can go up to $4.00 during rush hours. Even though all Metro lines are color-coded, they are still very hard to remember because multiple lines may share the same lane and passengers need to make sure to get on the right train; otherwise, who knows where the train would go to? In addition, the rail is always in zigzags, so it is very uncomfortable to ride. You will be front and back, left and right like riding a mild roller-coaster.

I believe the key of public transportation is to transport large amount of people in a cheap, fast and efficient manner. After assessing these qualities, I would say Marta is better because it's cheaper and easy to ride.
However, one thing I have to bring up is that Metro seems to have more people riding than Marta does. Everyday in during the two rush-hour periods (opening to 9:30 a.m. and 3-7 p.m), people have trouble even getting onto the train. But in Atlanta, when I get on a train, there aren't as many people. Perhaps, because of the extensiveness of sprawling in Atlanta, people do not live next to the Marta line and they prefer driving. Also, due the the cross shape rail, it does not cover the ground in the corners, so it is hard for people living there to get on Marta.

~Sheng Zhao

On fall break and public transportation - Vikrum Sheorey

This fall break I took a trip back to Maryland to spend some time with my family. While this was a simple trip for most, it was a little more confusing at first for myself. This was my first time at Atlanta's airport and my first time flying on a plane by myself.



The trip to the airport was uncannily easy and throughout the whole experience I kept thinking I was missing some important information because everything seemed too simple. My journey began with a trip to the MARTA station by the AT&T building. Taking the MARTA to the airport was extremely easy. I am used to the Metro of DC, having grown up in the DC area. The metro is infinitely more complicated to navigate compared to the MARTA. In the metro the fares must be calculated based on the destination one wishes to go to. This creates longer lines at the ticket stations because people must scan a list of destinations and match them with prices. On the MARTA, there is a simple fare for one way or round trip tickets. Furthermore getting to the airport on the MARTA is as simple as boarding a train that says "Airport". This train goes directly to the airport and one does not need to change trains at junctions as is true with the metro. All in all I was very impressed with the ease and simplicity of MARTA.

Airports tend to be confusing places with so many destinations to choose from, however Atlanta International Airport followed in MARTA's footsteps in terms of ease of use. Security took fewer than 10 minutes to pass through and from there one has many options. There is a food court to eat or places to shop, much like a typical mall. To actually get to the gates, there is a very cleverly designed system of trams. The trams are quick and precise. To get to gate C (which was my gate) all one has to do is check a screen that details where the next tram will be going. The trams usually come within one minute of the last one and a ride will take about 2-5 minutes to reach the desired gate.

This trip really demonstrated the wonderful use of public transportation in Atlanta. The Olympics really helped streamline the MARTA to go to important places in Atlanta like the Airport. I did not require a car or even a bus to go to the airport at all, whereas when my parents picked me up it was about an hour drive to our house. I immensely enjoyed my fall break and the ease of use of Atlanta's public transportation certainly helped.

- Vikrum

Decatur Metro In Depth Review - Sheng Zhao

A screenshot of Decatur Metro

The overall purpose of Decatur Metro blog is to provide daily update on interesting things happening in the city of Decatur. The author explicitly states that "Discouraged by the fact that the city of Decatur, GA doesn’t have a single source for daily news about our community, I decided to do something about it." He wants to create a convenient place for people living in Decatur to easily access local news. Although he does not explicitly say what a community should be, he certainly shows that he wants Decatur to be a community that people actually care about. With constant news update, people will become more and more interested in what's going on in their surroundings, rather than thinking it's just a place to live. He tries to promote communication among the people living there and to create a friendly community. Through continuous update, he wants to bring up awareness that Decatur is a vibrant city and tons of things are happening that it never runs out of news!

The blog is composed of majority of written description with not too many fancy pictures because the idea is to talk about local news. However, it certain will be helpful to insert more eye-catching pictures. The electronic blog has both writing and visual elements. The text mainly describes what is happening and usually cites a news article. When pictures are shown in a post, the main purpose is to catch reader's attention because most of the blog is text. I would say this is already very effective because the author is imitating a news website. He dedicates himself to incorporating all kinds of news about Decatur into this blog. Perhaps, if he could link some video news report, it would definitely be more effective.

~Sheng Zhao

Library Assignment - Vikrum Sheorey

For this week's blog, like Kinza, I also chose to utilize the library by checking out one of the Flip Video cameras. I brought the camera with me as I walked to classes on Thursday and took videos that highlighted the walk-ability and community oriented aspects of campus. Tech campus is very pedestrian friendly and the authors of Suburban Nation would most certainly be proud of its use of public transportation and other alternatives to cars.

The USB camera itself was easy enough to use. Just plug it right into the USB port of your computer and the videos can be easily imported. The only issue I have with the camera is that it records videos in .AVI format. In order to edit files in Windows Movie Maker I first had to convert all the videos to .WMV. Other than this small issue, capturing video was as easy as pressing the red button.

I had a lot of fun doing this blog post and it was a great change of pace from writing the week after doing an essay!

Marta on Saturday - Sheng Zhao

Guess what? This is my first time I record something and upload it onto YouTube. Despite how easy this sounds, it took me at least one hour just to figure out how to create a video. Trust me. It's NOT easy if you have never done this before, but I will show you how to do it at the end of the blog.

Let me tell you my experience on Saturday. I started off with a voice recorder and it could not transfer files to my computer, so I had to rush to the library and see if the library's computer would work. Apparently, I had to install a drive for the voice recorder and I did not have Administrator privileged. So, I had to check out a laptop and download the files. Next, I had to upload it to YouTube and I had trouble with file compatibility. My audio file is saved as wav and YouTube couldn't recognize it, so I changed it to mp3 and same thing happened. Apparently YouTube's compatible file formats are .WMV, AVI, FLV, etc. Therefore, I decided to use Windows Movie Maker (if it's not on your computer, you can get it here), which I have never ever used before. However, it is not hard to figure out. After some click and drag, it worked out very well.

Here is what you should do after you recorded your sound.
(0. If you checked out voice recorder from GT library, use a XP computer! Insert the CD and install a program required for file transfer. After installation, open the program and let the file to be transfered.)
















1. Open Windows Movie Maker and click on Import Media at the top left corner.
2. Select the desired image, audio, or video and click on import.
3. You will see the file appear on the main window.
4. Drag the files into the timeline on the bottom.
5. Move the images, audio, and video to desired location.
6. You may preview the movie on the right.
7. Save it as .WMV file.
8. Upload it onto your YouTube account by clicking Upload on top right corner of YouTube page.
9. Load your video/audio, and add titles and descriptions. Then click Save Changes.

Whew! Now you are done.

~Sheng Zhao

Visiting Decatur - Sheng Zhao

Another interesting place other than Buckhead is Decatur. Over the labor day weekend, two friends of mine and I took the Marta from North Avenue station straight to Decatur station, the center of Decatur. Downtown Decatur is a great representation of traditional neighborhood. It is a very lively community. It has restaurants and shops on both sides of the street, so there are many people shopping around and dining. And the entire city can be access on foot. There is absolute no need to have a car. In fact, there are plenty of places you cannot access when you have a car, like a street of restaurants.

Old DeKalb County Courthouse in Decatur

These characteristics fit into my initial criteria very well. Most of my criteria are not affected. For example, there needs to be lots of public areas and green spaces, and Decatur definitely did a good job providing these places. There are plenty of benches on the side of the streets and in front of major buildings, like the courthouse. The space in front of the courthouse is a like a mini-plaza where people can gather around and communicate with each other. The only thing I changed is that a great neighborhood needs to have people with different socioeconomic background because that is what going to stimulate communication within a community. Rich people would be sharing their side of opinion and poor people would share their own, so any decision will not be too one-sided. This way the bond of community could also be a lot stronger.

~Sheng Zhao

Neighborhood Introduction: Buckhead - Vikrum Sheorey

"Where old money lives, new money parties." – Atlanta Journal-Constitution

This is the first statement that Buckhead chooses to place on its website which should say a lot about the general attitude of Buckhead and its residents. The first thing that stands out is the wealth of Buckhead. It is known as an expensive place that is out of reach for all but the most elite of Atlanta's residents. In this way Buckhead does not side with the authors of Suburban Nation, who feel that mixed income neighborhoods provide a better sense of community. However, Buckhead has a lot more in common with Duany, Plater-Zyberk, and Speck's criteria than one might think. Thus I chose Buckhead because my criteria consisted of a mix between the book's criteria and my own.

The first of my criteria was the presence of some form of mixed use areas in the neighborhood. The more urban part of Buckhead accomplishes this quite well with apartments near stores, albeit very expensive apartments. In addition to these mixed areas, there are also strictly residential areas. I like this because it provides an option for those who seek different styles of living.

I also stated that narrow streets that form a web were an important aspect of a neighborhood. Buckhead contains a mix of narrow and wide streets and I was too unfamiliar with the streets to know if they form a web. I will reserve judgment on this aspect of my criteria for a later visit.

Another thing I thought was good for a neighborhood was a distinct center and civic buildings. On my visit I did not see any civic buildings or town centers, however another visit will help in assessing this issue. Though if there were to be a distinct center, it would have to be well... distinct. Since I could not tell where the general center of Buckhead was, I doubt that Buckhead contains this part of my criteria.

The next element was lively and unique areas. Buckhead definitely contains a lively and unique atmosphere. With places like the ESPN zone and smaller restaurants like Felini's, Buckhead does not necessarily have a homogeneous big box retail feeling to it.

Finally I also stated that the houses in a neighborhood should be proportionate to their lots. To observe this I went into the surrounding suburbs of Buckhead. The neighborhood was very calming and pleasant and in the part that I went to, the houses seemed to be more traditional than sprawl-like.

In general, Buckhead seems to be a good fit for my criteria. Since I am doing Buckhead in general and not a specific area like Lennox, I will need to explore more of the area to get a better feel for it. However, Buckhead seems like a great place to live and have fun - that is if you can pay.

- Vikrum Sheorey

The Blissful Glutton Review - Vikrum Sheorey

For this week's post I have chosen to review the blog The Blissful Glutton. Like Kinza I chose a blog about food in Atlanta. It only makes sense to review this blog seeing how important food is to college students (which explains unlimited meal plans at the dining halls).

The Blissful Glutton unofficially dubs itself "your guide to eating in Atlanta" and is interesting for a number of reasons. The about page for Blissful Glutton states that the blog is a "labor of love" for the author Jennifer Zyman. She emphasizes a love for food over profit by running the site out of her own pocket and keeping the site ad-free. She even visits the restaurants on her own dime. This style of food reviewing leads to better reviews that are more applicable to experiences that all of us would have at restaurants.

The main problem in creating a food blog is that the internet is not a medium well suited for transmitting the two main aspects of food: taste and smell. Zyman manages to get around this limitation with the heavy use of pictures and video. Though smell and taste cannot be felt by the reader, smell and taste are two senses that are well associated with memory. The pictures allow for the reader to relate to the food using their past experiences as a reference.

This high-detail image of a brownie will invoke the memory of a smell or taste in most people

The blog is very diverse in the range of foods it covers, ranging from Cuban flan to Japanese traditional foods, so there is no one specific focus on type of food. However this is very telling and speaks to the concentrated diversity here in Atlanta. Food and culture are often closely intertwined and food reflects values that a society holds close. Whether it be food as a cheap way for people to get together or food as the main event, these cultural differences make up a larger culture of Atlanta. The blog also covers food-related events like the Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival.



Whether or not you are of the "foodie" niche that Blissful Glutton seeks to entertain, food is such a central aspect of our lives that one cannot help but be entertained by the wide varied of foods to choose.

- Vikrum Sheorey

Urban Hiking Atlanta Review - Sheng Zhao

After enjoying a delicious meal at either the Korean Barbeque or the Cuban Tacos that Kinza has reviewed or any fantastic restaurant in Atlanta, you may want to walk around Atlanta and enjoy the great view of Atlanta. If you have never walked around Atlanta, you should definitely check out Urban Hiking Atlanta and participates the FREE urban hikes organized by Angel Poventub and his passionate group. The author of Urban Hiking Atlanta is very dedicated to promote hiking around Atlanta. Even though he has not explicitly explained his purpose, it is obvious that he tries to inform people who live in Atlanta that Atlanta is a beautiful city. He wants everyone to appreciate the wonderful environment they live in and to take action to preserve the natural habitat around them. In addition, the detailed travel plans that the author created can bring the community closer by gathering everyone who loves the Atlanta neighborhood.

In this blog, there are not many descriptive words; however, there are tons of pictures the author took during the hiking trips. Instead of relying on readers' imagination on what he tries to describe, the author choose to upload pictures to eliminate any confusion or clarity. One picture is worth a thousand words. Readers will be able to visualize exactly what can be seen on the hiking trips. These pictures also show the natural beauty of Atlanta and can easily convince many people to join the hiking immediately. These pictures are more effective and straightforward than descriptive words. When the author has to describe something, he keeps it very short and clear.

"What? September Urban Hike- exploring on foot from Reynoldstown to
Oakland Cemetery, on to 5 Points to (hopefully) see some of DragonCon!
When? Meet at 9am this Saturday, September 5th
Where? Park Grounds Coffee Shop- 142 Flat Shoals Ave SE, atlanta, ga 30316
Who? Everyone is invited- no age limits/restrictions! Dogs too!
Why? Why not? It's a Saturday and starting to feel like fall, so let's
go explore on foot around the city!"

--from Urban Hiking Atlanta


This blog creates the awareness that there are many events going on around Atlanta and that this is a very active community. Just like many bloggers linked on Dr. Hoefer's blog, this author strongly encourages people to participate in social activities and make their own share of contribution to this community.

~Sheng Zhao

Potomac, MD: A Community on the Verge of Sprawl - Vikrum Sheorey

As people we are shaped by not only our experiences but also by the environments that we have experienced life in. Therefore in keeping with the theme of our blog (the effects of suburban sprawl) we thought it would be best to introduce ourselves through descriptions of our hometowns.

Potomac, Maryland is a small and town on the edge of D.C. that is very similar to my fellow blogger Sheng's own town of Arlington, Virginia. I lived in Potomac for fifteen years and have seen it grow and change over the years. Like Arlington, Potomac is a bit of a mixed bag in terms of classification. The basic structure of the town is fairly centered around the community and many places such as the grocery store and pharmacy are within five to ten minutes away by foot. However as the community began to grow larger, elements of sprawl have begun to crop up in the more traditional neighborhoods. The most obvious and abundant example of sprawl in Potomac would have to be the introduction of the all too familiar McMansions.

The typical McMansion

McMansions may look pleasant when they are placed with other similar houses in their own sea of blandness, but when placed in traditional neighborhoods one is able to get a much better sense of their garrishness.

So what is Potomac then? Is it a traditional neighborhood or is it sprawl? Is it both? Can it be both?

To definitively figure out what my hometown is we should turn to the 5 guidelines for sprawl as laid out by Suburban Nation.

1. Housing subdivisions - The first element of sprawl is the division of living space versus commercial space. My neighborhood fits this description accurately as people do not live above or directly next to the shops where they purchase goods and services. However the main shopping center in town is directly bordered by family townhouses, which is uncharacteristic for sprawl. In this case I will concede that Potomac does fit this aspect of sprawl because even though the division is not huge as in sprawl, it is still a division with no exceptions in the zoning laws.
2. Shopping centers and big box retail - As mentioned previously there are distinct shopping centers in Potomac, but there are no large retailers in the center of town. The shopping center in the main part of town is more comprised of smaller businesses rather than huge companies. Superstores like Walmart and Target are located on the outskirts of town where the traditional neighborhoods end and sprawl has begun in full swing. Potomac does not fit this aspect of sprawl.
3. Office parks - Potomac is a suburb of D.C. and as one would imagine most business is conducted in D.C. Therefore there is very little corporate presence and as a result no office parks to speak of. Potomac does not fit this aspect of sprawl.
4. Civic institutions - Suburban Nation says that in sprawl civic institutions are usually not the focal points of town events and are usually inaccessible by walking. In my hometown the churches and especially the synagogues are easily located within walking distance. I say especially the synagogues because there is a large Jewish population in Potomac and on the weekends many of them are not allowed to drive to synagogue. On these days many people can be seen walking to the synagogue, something which is unheard of in sprawl. Therefore Potomac does not meet this aspect of sprawl.
5. Roadways - Suburban Nation uses the multi-lane streets of Virginia Beach as an example of the vast miles of pavement required to connect the many facets of a sprawl community. Potomac does not fit this description of sprawl. The streets are often narrow with one or two lanes and they form a "continuous web" as described by Suburban Nation in their description of a traditional neighborhood.
   

After analyzing Potomac through the criteria laid out by Suburban Nation it appears that my neighborhood is more traditional than I had once believed. Potomac itself is a very old town and as such will of course be more traditional than many other towns. Unlike sprawl areas, there is some sense of community. The biggest community event is the Potomac Day Parade, which is a festival in the center of town.

Pictures from the Potomac Day Parade

After learning so much about sprawl and its negative effects I have developed a new found appreciation for my hometown. The town is homogeneous in income level but is diverse ethnically enough that one experiences many aspects of life. Though it may be changing, I have immensely enjoyed growing up in a more traditional neighborhood while the rest of the nation moves towards more sprawl.

- Vikrum

Arlington, Virginia: The Neighborhood in Which I Grew Up

It is very difficult to categorize Arlington, Virginia either as a traditional neighborhood or as a sprawl because it is mixed of both. What I mean by that is I can access some groceries stores by walking five minutes just like I can go to Publix and get some groceries. However, if I want to get clothes or appliances, I will definitely need to have a car. Because Arlington is so close to Washington D.C., it is part of D.C. Metropolitan area and of course, there is more public transportation than the suburb. The Metro (same as Marta here) is a very convenient tool to get to D.C.; however, there are still plenty of people drive their cars to work. The rush hour period is long and hideous. Believe it or not, the rush hour starts at 2pm. The ethnicity and income level are pretty diverse in my neighborhood, but there is still not a very strong sense of community. Maybe it is because of lack of public space in my neighborhood. So, it is hard to make Arlington fit into either categories defined by the Suburban Nation or Blueprint America.



Here below is a video I found on YouTube. It shows that one have access to lots of activities around Arlington without driving in a car. At the beginning of the video, you can see that it is very easy to gain access to subways. Offices are above stores and restaurants that are on the first floor. There are also not too much traffic on the roads during most of the day. However, during rush hour, there definitely will be at least 4 times the traffic. :(



Even though my neighborhood is sort of in the middle, I have seen both sprawl and traditional neighborhood not far away for my neighborhood. In D.C., the Dupont Circle is a great example of traditional neighborhood. The circle itself is a public green space and many people can choose to relax there. The streets are designed in rows and columns to ensure that there are multiple ways to get to the destination. Almost all buildings are multipurpose: work or residential on top and commercial shops on the bottom. On the other hand, ten miles away from D.C., sprawling is everywhere. I saw this work park for Verizon. The parking lot is five times the size of the building and I guarantee you that the building takes more space than a stadium. Houses around the beltway are pretty much all identical and one could hardly get around without a car, exactly like what is described in Suburban Nation.


~Sheng Zhao