When people ask me where I am from (excuse me, where I am conducting my observations for the Neighborhood Evaluation), I generally get a blank stare from the person that asked the question. That is, until I let them know what famous attraction is located in Mableton - Six Flags. Six Flags has been the most famous site in Mableton for some time now, even though it has filed for bankruptcy. The next biggest attraction would have to be the Mable House, for which Mableton was named. This historic plantation house in the center of town has been very popular for local school field trips and festivals. In terms of recreation, there is a walking/ biking trail called the Silver Comet Trail, which stretches from Cobb County all the way to the Alabama state line.
In terms of the conditions that define it as a suburb of Atlanta, it contains many multi-lane highways, including I-20 that passes through to the South of town. These highways do make it very difficult to travel in the mornings and late afternoons with rush hour, but it is no surprise seeing as how we live in a city with seemingly the world's worst traffic. In fact, even some of the major two-lane roads, such as Concord Road and Floyd Road, cause traffic jams during rush hour. A car is not only needed to live in Mableton, but it is practically the only way one can survive since most shopping areas, grocery stores, schools, and other important centers can only be accessed by car.
As scary as all of this seems to sound, don't let it make you think that Mableton is a dirty suburb that contains no real identity. Mableton is filled with rich history, diversity and identity that contradicts the negativity associated with sprawl. In fact, Mableton has turned sprawl into a form of necessity rather than a reaction to the typical American personal space issues. My criteria for Mableton to be defined as a town of "good sprawl" included providing public transportation, green space, safety, diversity, variation in housing, and community. Mableton fits all of these criteria in some way, shape, or form.
Cobb County provides public transportation for most of the southern and eastern portions of the county. This system, the Cobb Community Transit, allows citizens to access everything they need to live in a town like Mableton, as well as connect to MARTA so that more possibilities can open for the citizens. Parks and green space come as abundantly in Mableton and surrounding areas as there are holes in Swiss cheese. Along with the plethora of parks, there are also many different types of parks, ranging from soccer complexes to the nature trail. In fact, many of the houses in Mableton have there own green spaces in the form of front and backyards. Not only does this help to build communication with neighbors, but it also forms a kind of safety barrier to the dangerous roads filled with speeding cars. Along this same line, the majority of roads in Mableton are quiet, two- lane roads that pose no threat of congestion or dangerous driving. The amount of choices in housing leads one to know the diversity of people in Mableton. Houses range from lower income all the way to historic plantation mansions, all within a few miles of each other.
After observing this town, I did not have too much to add or change to my criteria, since Mableton seemed to fit all of the aspects of my criteria of good or necessary growth. I did, however, expand on some of the criteria. After observing all of the historic houses in town, I noticed that they all seemed to fit the criteria of sprawl as well, which led me to believe that sprawl is not a new fad in the area. I imagine the sprawl that occurred in Mableton historically came out of necessity for agricultural purposes. Another criterium I added was that the expansion of two- lane roads to multi-lane parkways has come out of necessity to incorporate larger volumes of traffic, rather than "just 'cause."
Negativity associated with suburban sprawl isn't all that it is cracked up to be. Mableton proves that sprawl can come out of necessity instead of want, and still function as if it were a small town that had never been affected by sprawl or urbanization.
Post by - Matthew Orr
I like that even though there is sprawl Mableton still seems to have a unique identity rooted in its southern heritage. I had just known the town from hearing about the businesses and 6 Flags.
ReplyDelete-Virginia