Assignment 1: Lyle

Several problems exist in the structure of the downtown environment. Over the years, cities have had to deal with overcrowding, the loss of street life, and the shrinking of the prestigious central business district, leaving a desolated frame around downtown. The following pictures show some of the issues facing the downtown:

Top: The concentration of skyscrapers close together blocks light and air and may create dangerous wind tunnels on the streets. To fix this problem and to overcome height limits that many cities placed on buildings, towers began to be built in the middle of an open plaza, as seen here at the Sun Trust Building on Peachtree Street. The problem with this is the loss of store fronts along the street. Instead of multiple entrances into stores and cafes, there is only one entrance into the building.

Middle: The problem with building structures at the same height and close together means that the first buildings quickly lose the views they once had of the city. Several windows at this Courtyard Hotel near Peachtree Center have a lovely view of the neighboring building.

Bottom: Downtowns are broken into two components: the core and the frame. This picture shows the core with its tall buildings in the background. In the foreground, the frame consists of a large tract of parking lots, several smaller buildings, and an area that overall is dirtier and less glorious than the core.