Atlanta,the Next Chapter

摘要

Atlanta has always told the world that it is a city reduced to ruins-whether by war or economy-that raises itself from the embers: steady, serious, and focused. "The city too busy to hate," Atlanta proclaimed itself during the civil rights turmoil-taking unsubtle digs at places like Birmingham, with its truncheons, fire hoses, and cartoonish villains. The message, of course, papered over the deep racial divides among Atlantans, but it also reflected a social consensus. Then, as now, race mattered-but not enough to trump what was really important: business. More than a real peace, Atlanta had an accord.¶"To me, the big story in the long sweep of things is that this place has typically been pragmatic, says Bruce Stiftel, faicp, who heads the planning department at Georgia Tech. "There has usually been a bipartisan way to figure out [how] to go forward despite the fragmented jurisdictions." ¶Being practical meant making a few visionary choices-and getting a few good breaks. It also meant confronting a sometimes bitter divide with rural Georgia, which dominated the state legislature and was often stingy with support for its largest, most prosperous city. As the population sprawled out of the city, it sometimes came to mean facing the neighbors' resentment and disdain.