Monday, September 24, 2007
News On the 'digital divide' and its effect on the Beltline
Posted by Thomas Wheatley @thomaswheatley on Mon, Sep 24, 2007 at 4:01 PM
In the piece I wrote last week about residents of southwest Atlanta and their concerns about displacement, a chief concern was conveyed to me and voiced in the meetings. Editorial real estate being limited, I couldn't delve into it entirely. But I revisit it here because it is important.
Dr. Richard Bright, the minister and health educator quoted in the article with whom I spoke at length, repeated this point: Southwest Atlanta is still a place where people rely on face-to-face communication. They talk in the grocery store, on the streets, and most importantly, at church — a social interaction residents are afraid they will lose should displacement uproot them and force them to start anew in a different community.
At the Southeast Area Beltline Study Group, the issue arose again. When Matthew Dickison, a city of Atlanta urban planner working on the Beltline's southern region, told residents in attendance that the group would post all the maps and information on the Web, a resident raised her hand and reminded him that "not all of us are computer literate." She wanted paper copies.
In their defense, the various groups working on making the Beltline a reality have made a commendable effort to include the public on a daunting project — the study groups, the Web sites, the Friday and Saturday free tours that, according to tour coordinator Heather Hussey-Coker, are booked weeks in advance. The Atlanta Beltline Partnership is set to unveil a renovated website in mid-October, complete with past study group information, maps, etc. Good job. But to best inform the residents who may not have access to the Web or the morning tours, a grassroots effort will work best to reach the people with the biggest fears as well as the most misinformation. Such as the elderly and those on fixed incomes. Such as those in southwest Atlanta.
There is a palpable tension to study group meetings in southwest Atlanta because residents feel they are still not part of the discussion. They want local landmarks — and not just the ones that pop up on a search of the National Register of Historic Places — recognized by planners and safeguarded if possible. Reach out to church leaders. Go speak with congregations on Sunday mornings. Continue posting maps at local libraries. Do not rely entirely on the Web — contrary to popular belief, not everyone is lurking here. And with the vastness of the Beltline and so many entities involved, people can have a hard time keeping up.
Latest in Fresh Loaf
-
'Ex-gays' gather outside Atlanta this weekend 1
Meanwhile human rights groups fight the notion that "ex-gay" is a thing
-
CNN cancels Atlanta debate 2
Everybody cry
-
ARC's new map of transportation-tax projects is suitable for framing 3
Voters will decide 1-cent sales tax measure in July
- More »
Author Archives
-
Two development teams competing for Fort McPherson redevelopment 1
Shuttered military base attracts interest from big-name developers
-
Former EPD boss joins — surprise! — a lobbying firm
Allen Barnes joins high-powered handshake artist group
- More »
Comments (0)