Renaming Streets Downtown (and elsewhere) (Atlanta, Clayton: credit, employment, utilities)

[arjay57]

It's great to honor people but it should be done by naming parks or monuments after them. Renaming streets is an extremely bad idea. It's confusing to residents, visitors, shippers and emergency responders. It's quite disruptive and expensive for businesses.

[Zel Ya]

Originally Posted by aries4118

Yes.


Or build monuments. Or fountains. Or pocket parks.


And name them after these people...

We honor good people. Why can't we honor some bad people, too?

The Kenerly Sewer Plant in Gwinnett County would honor crappy public servants like Kenerly.

[TakeAhike]

Originally Posted by ecuresident

Personally I dont care, anything to make it easier. Roads down here are confusing as hell. There are 4 different peachtree streets and businesses never put peachtree st NW, or Sw, etc. And why the heck do streets just change names here? Moreland Ave Changes to Briarcliff (or vice versa) for no reason. The street is continuous, so why does it just change names all of a sudden?

It is possible that a century or so ago there was a valid reason for the Moreland/Briarcliff Rd change. What that might be I cannot say.

[RZaakir]

Originally Posted by TakeAhike

It is possible that a century or so ago there was a valid reason for the Moreland/Briarcliff Rd change. What that might be I cannot say.

The answer is pretty clear: race. It was a way of racially stratifying communities using street names so blacks and whites didn't claim to live on the same street. Ponce was the line of demarcation.

Interestingly enough, the city code now has a provision that says the Department of Public Works must reject any street name change that doesn't rename the entire street. That has not kept the Council from routinely waiving that section of the ordinance however. They have also grown fond of waiving the requirement that 75% of the people whose addresses would change should sign off of it as well.

[TakeAhike]

Originally Posted by RZaakir

The answer is pretty clear: race. It was a way of racially stratifying communities using street names so blacks and whites didn't claim to live on the same street. Ponce was the line of demarcation.

Interestingly enough, the city code now has a provision that says the Department of Public Works must reject any street name change that doesn't rename the entire street. That has not kept the Council from routinely waiving that section of the ordinance however. They have also grown fond of waiving the requirement that 75% of the people whose addresses would change should sign off of it as well.

I suppose that could have been the reason. Google offered very little FYI--when were these roads built?
It would seem that what is now Ponce de Leon must have existed since the beginning--a road from Decatur--probably a dirt road or trail?

Ponce de Leon Ave/Druid Hills>>>
The planned community was initially conceived by Joel Hurt, and developed with the effort of Atlanta's leading families, including Coca-Cola founder Asa Candler. It contains some of Atlanta's historic mansions from the late 19th and early 20th Century. Druid Hills includes the main campus of Emory University, which relocated to Atlanta in 1914. Ponce de Leon Avenue bi-sects the community.[citation needed]


Perhaps there is additional FYI here>>>
http://roadsidegeorgia.com/city/atlanta01.html

'Creek Indians, perhaps descended from the ancient Moundbuilder culture, were known to inhabit a village (Standing Peachtree) near the mound prior to the American Revolution. Before Fort Peachtree was built in 1813, an Indian path running from Suwanee to Standing Peachtree was upgraded by local men. With this completed, Lieutenant George Gilmer left Fort Daniel (Hog Mountain in present-day Gwinnett County), traveled south on Peachtree Road and completed Fort Peachtree [Gilmer] on a small knob overlooking the Chattahoochee.'

1847>>>
Finally, late in 1847, Atlanta is incorporated. The town is defined as extending 1 mile from the Terminus. The battle for control of the city had begun.

[RZaakir]

TakeAhike, this is a well known fact.

Still Fighting the Civil War: The ... - Google Books

[koko339]

Yep, it was all done for racist reasons. The same thing is true of Parkway/Charles Allen and Boulevard/Monroe.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by TakeAhike

I suppose that could have been the reason.

That is the reaon. RZaakir is exactly right.

[TakeAhike]

Originally Posted by RZaakir

TakeAhike, this is a well known fact.

Still Fighting the Civil War: The ... - Google Books

OK. As long as I have lived here I have never been greatly concerned about street names.

lol--Ponce de Leon--that name would indicate that some had global vision very early?
Briarcilff--there is a well known Briarcliff Manor in NY and I think the original is in the UK. English---but I have no idea how 'Moreland' might have been selected. Clairmont--assuming it would also have English origins. DeKalb was named for Baron von DeKalb, German, supported the colonists during the Revolutionary War. Oak Grove---named for a large Oak tree. $.02

[jematl]

Instead of renaming those streets, we should just tack the names onto the airport... How does Hartsfield-Jackson-Clayton-Portman Airport sound?