Sprawling suburban: East Cobb/Roswell/Alpharetta/Johns Creek versus San Fernando Valley? (Atlanta: fit in, houses)

[netdragon]

When I think about huge sprawling suburb, I used to think San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, but East Cobb/Roswell/Alpharetta/John's Creek is also like one continuous suburban area with very little breaking it up. I was wondering for those who have lived in California and also Atlanta, which of the two would you consider being the most sprawl and how would you compare the two?

[Biggiechri]

FIRST Cobb/Roswell/Alpharetta/John's Creek...all different areas entirely.

[netdragon]

Political boundaries aside, how are they different? To an outsider who doesn't know city boundaries like when I was new here a few years ago, it seems like one contiguous block of suburban housing (except for the small city centers that are easy to miss). It's not too hard to plan your route to get from Johns Creek to East Cobb without passing anything but strip malls and houses. San Fernando Valley ("the valley") in California is a contiguous block of residential development in the burbs, though a bit more built up... What I'm wondering is what people from California think. Are there any similarities in terms of how they fit in within the metro region?

San Fernando valley:
san fernando valley, ca - Google Maps

The Northern suburbs:
roswell, ga - Google Maps

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by netdragon

Political boundaries aside, how are they different? To an outsider who doesn't know city boundaries like when I was new here a few years ago, it seems like one contiguous block of suburban housing (except for the small city centers that are easy to miss). It's not too hard to plan your route to get from Johns Creek to East Cobb without passing anything but strip malls and houses. San Fernando Valley ("the valley") in California is a contiguous block of residential development in the burbs, though a bit more built up... What I'm wondering is what people from California think. Are there any similarities in terms of how they fit in within the metro region?

San Fernando valley:
san fernando valley, ca - Google Maps

The Northern suburbs:
roswell, ga - Google Maps

One thing I think is overlooked in terms of Atlanta's "sprawl" is that our sprawl doesn't seem as bad/overwhelming/continuous because of all of the trees and hills.

Atlanta's suburbs retain their appeal because of the trees and hills. The suburbs (for the most part) are still pretty.

[netdragon]

That's true. For instance, in parts of L.A. you can look down an avenue from where houses are and see every factory, auto center, warehouse, trash and car pollution. Because of the curves in roads, trees and hills, you usually don't see that stuff in metro Atlanta.

[plessthanpointohfive]

I have an ex-colleague from Los Angelos who didn't like that about Atlanta. She didn't like the trees - didn't like how you couldn't see what was going on a mile away...

[capoeira]

Originally Posted by netdragon

When I think about huge sprawling suburb, I used to think San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, but East Cobb/Roswell/Alpharetta/John's Creek is also like one continuous suburban area with very little breaking it up. I was wondering for those who have lived in California and also Atlanta, which of the two would you consider being the most sprawl and how would you compare the two?

The sprawl is much worse in the northern Atlanta suburbs. In Georgia the sprawl seems almost unlimited and extends into Forsyth and Cherokee counties. In San Fernando the expansion is naturally limited by mountains on all sides.

San Fernando has had excellent transportation planning. It has safe wide roads with center medians,street lights and sidewalks everywhere. San Fernando has a bus system that goes across the valley and a new rail like bus system with the Metro Orange Line. It has a direct rail connection to downtown LA via the Red Line from N. Hollywood.

In contrast the narrow two lane roads in N. Fulton are a traffic nightmare. With few street lights and sidewalks and very limited public transportion it is suburban sprawl on steroids.

[netdragon]

Does anyone know of historical photos like the below for the North metro?

Ventura Boulevard in San Fernando Valley in 1923.



Another in 1920s



Ventura Blvd aerial 1952



Inset of upper portion of above picture in 1975

[Cobb]

I live in west Cobb, and I lived in So. CAL. Sprawl is probably more in San Fernando valley
because the area is I believe more with more houses closer together. Here you have fewer houses that have more land including trees, trees and more trees. Not so in So. CA
I live about 25 miles from downtown and I live near lots of sprawling farm lands with horses, cows, goats. Beautiful. Can't find that much in So. CA. maybe stinky Chino (dairy). San Jacinto is even loosing the dairy farms. I prefer it here better. Tornado will scare the hell out of you though.

[rackensack]

Originally Posted by netdragon

Does anyone know of historical photos like the below for the North metro?

Not exactly the same, but UGA has digitized a good portion of its collection of historical aerial photos created by the USDA's ASCS: Georgia Aerial Photographs

There's a number of books on Roswell history that have historical photos of the North Fulton/Milton County area, but not many online sources that I've found.