When did we start ignoring natural landmarks? (Roswell, Alpharetta: 2015, how much)

[bryantm3]

i recently found this article:

Eastern Continental Divide (probably not the last you’re going to see of it here) – "A ship defines the ocean"

check this out:



that's not the rail line that's being highlighted; that's the eastern continental divide. it's a boundary that existed before our constructions did; all the water northwest of the line drains into the gulf of mexico, and everything southeast of the line drains into the atlantic ocean.

it used to be that when people settled an area, they would design it around what was natural... but at some point, we stopped paying attention to what was right in front of us, and started designing everything based on things other people built. and then the next generation would design based off of what their parents generation put there, and so on. now it's 2017, and we're at the point where our view on reality is so defined by other people's constructions that our urban planning is detached from reality. look at this subdivision near where i live, for example:



the roads are designed nice and curvy to imitate something organic, but it completely ignores what is actually there. check out a topographic map of the same neighborhood:



a couple of the streets follow ridges, but for the most part, it's detached. like we've spent so much time looking at maps of other people's roads and buildings that we can't see what's right underneath us. i wonder how much time and money we spend trying to reshape the earth to match what we *think* ought to be there, based on what our past generations have told us.

i'm reminded of the geocentric theory of the solar system. originally, the sun and the other planets were thought to orbit the earth. as astronomers began to observe the planets and take notes, instead of realizing the obvious, they were so attached to the idea of a geocentric solar system that they came up with more and more absurd theories of orbit patterns to try and force what was observed this theory that didn't make any sense.



it's like we so stuck in maps and roads, grids, perimeters, all these things that look nice on paper, that we're fighting nature and trying to force it into this ideal of perfection that doesn't exist.

do you know what the nearest natural source of water is to your home? do you know what the nearest hill is? what the heck are we doing?

[Fubarbundy]

When did we start ignoring natural landmarks?

Maybe since Genesis 1:28 (subdue the earth).

[tikigod311]

I'm always more attracted to development that works with nature. I am disgusted by development that clear cuts and grades with no regard to its natural setting. Like the douchebag builder that bought the property next to me and thoughtlessly cleared all the trees, including two magnificent ones that really helped define the skyline of my street. I Hate people who do this, it should be criminal.

I think there will be more of a market for development with nature in mind as that generation that everyone is so jealous of gets older.

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by tikigod311

I'm always more attracted to development that works with nature. I am disgusted by development that clear cuts and grades with no regard to its natural setting. Like the douchebag builder that bought the property next to me and thoughtlessly cleared all the trees, including two magnificent ones that really helped define the skyline of my street. I Hate people who do this, it should be criminal.

I think there will be more of a market for development with nature in mind as that generation that everyone is so jealous of gets older.

Agreed. I hate clear-cut developments. It's lazy.

[LTCM]

That's very interesting. I had no idea rain falling that close to the hooch didn't feed into it. It looks like at points the devide is only a few miles from the river.

[cqholt]

There is a wonderful mural on DeKalb Ave near the Lake Claire Land Trust that depicts this.

[sedimenjerry]

Originally Posted by LTCM

That's very interesting. I had no idea rain falling that close to the hooch didn't feed into it. It looks like at points the devide is only a few miles from the river.

Yep in Gwinnett I'm real close to the Yellow River which flows to the Atlantic but just minutes away is the Chattahoochee watershed.

[Gulch]

In the case of the ECD, the gentle slope of it allowed for easier construction of the rail lines on top of it. I'd say that it was the complete opposite of ignored.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by samiwas1

Agreed. I hate clear-cut developments. It's lazy.

Worst example of it ever.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denny_Regrade,_Seattle

[Caleb Longstreet]

They started ignoring it when builders started paying 100K an acre. That, and when Garmin became mainstream and bobcats where on every 5th trailer running around. Those builders are going to maximize their return.

They wouldn't be doing it if there wasn't a demand for it. Best you can hope for is that there are strict green laws and ordinances whereby, for "X" amount of acres developed you have to leave "Y" amount of green areas for drainage and quality of life (read: Parks). Those green zones keep people from going postal.

One only has to look at say, South Florida/Broward/West and compare it to Haynes Bridge/Old Milton. Depsite the density you see up here, take a look at say, University Drive from I-595 to Hollywood....end-to-end strip malls and cement.....

Now take our area in North Fulton....think this is bad? Take a look at the DENSITY. If you were to take ALL of Dawson County, ALL of Forsyth County, ALL of Alpharetta, Milton, John's Creek, Suwanee, Duluth, Roswell, Dunwoody and I believe add them together the TOTAL population is hovering around 500,000.......

Now, take Gwinett or Cobb in their entirety....population? Hovering around 900,000 in Gwinnett and 850,000 in Cobb....2:1.......it's getting crowded in North Fulton but, NOTHING like that menagerie in Cobb or Gwinnett....they are hopelessly devoted to new taxes to pay for the shortfalls.....Both still have nice areas but, the density around either is horrid.

At least in North Fulton/that area you can still get around on weekends albeit it's thickening up.....