METRO-ATLANTA–BASED developer Doug Spohn operates his development firm around a simple theory about human nature: if given the opportunity, people will gravitate toward activity and social interaction and, therefore, a better quality of life. Spohn’s latest development project has provided him with the perfect testing ground for his theory. In 1998, Spohn was asked to help transform a sprawling Atlanta suburb into a centered, healthy community. Along with several key community members and the local government, Spohn has turned parking lots and decrepit buildings that once loosely represented downtown Duluth, Ga, into an open-air stage upon which neighbors can connect with each other, opt to burn calories instead of gasoline, and ground themselves within their community. In planning this transformation within the heart of Duluth, Spohn was resolved to tackle several key health issues associated with urban growth, including the health of the environment and both the physical and emotional health of all community members, regardless of their demographics.
FADING TRADITION
Located 25 miles northeast of Atlanta in Gwinnett County, Duluth covers 9.8 square miles and has an ethnically and economically diverse population of more than 22 000. The city’s commercial and corporate corridor is among the county’s busiest; more than 1600 businesses are based within Duluth’s city limits. Originally, the Duluth area was home to Cherokee Indians. The city was officially chartered in 1876 and was one of the first to be established within Gwinnett County.
Although Duluth has a rich history and small-town charm, because of its proximity to Atlanta, it fell victim to the urban sprawl that so often accompanies population growth. Within the past few decades, as more metro-Atlanta residents began to move further away from the Atlanta city limits, Duluth came to typify the sprawling suburb: extensive roads, homogeneous neighborhoods, and strip malls built to the specification of stringent and inflexible zoning laws. The shift in land-use patterns in Duluth resulted in increasing dependence on the automobile and consequently in such negative effects as a deteriorated and economically depressed downtown area, the creation of an urban heat island (i.e., an increase in temperature caused by an abundance of asphalt and a lack of green space), lower water and air quality, and more car crashes and injuries. Duluth residents were at increased risk for the adverse physical and psychological effects of urban sprawl.
MOVING TOWARD THE PAST
Working hand in hand, Duluth residents and the local government formed the Downtown Development Committee, vowing to put the brakes on the suburban momentum that was so negatively affecting their community. Duluth needed revitalization to provide its residents a renewed sense of community pride. Spohn was contacted by the city of Duluth in 1998. He was the ideal addition to the team of residents and politicians who wanted to see downtown Duluth turn around. Not only did he have more than 30 years of experience in developing local land for residential and mixed use, but he had a unique vision that set him apart from most metro-Atlanta developers.
Spohn already had been operating with the health of homeowners and the environment in mind, developing neighborhoods that provided residents with ample recreation options, from walking to visit neighbors on shaded sidewalks to exercising in designated green-space areas. When the city contacted Spohn, the timing was right; he had become frustrated at county zoning ordinances that had restricted him from placing green space where it was most needed, from building a park where it would most benefit a community’s residents, and from using parcels of land for both commercial and residential purposes.
“Barriers in government prevent smart growth. Most zonings stifle creativity because they are very prescriptive,” says Spohn, adding that restrictive zoning ordinances can handicap developers interested in promoting the health of a community. The opportunity to collaborate with the local government and to be granted more flexibility in his community design sparked his interest in the Duluth project.
In planning for the new Duluth, Spohn considered many factors. As a 5-year member of the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Environmental and Land Committee, Spohn is knowledgeable about the complex environmental health issues surrounding a population shift to the suburbs; encouraging smart growth to help clean up the environment was one of his primary concerns. One of the most complex issues that would need to be addressed was the use of automobiles. Dependence on motor vehicles for transportation substantially contributes to many negative human and environmental health effects; however, in transforming the heart of Duluth, Spohn maintained realistic expectations for the future.
“[Americans] are likely never going to get rid of the car—especially those who live in the suburbs,” says Spohn. He realized early on in his planning that the best way to reduce the adverse effects of automobiles was to create a city that would decrease overall driving time. “Atlanta still leads the nation in the number of miles driven per person per day, at 35 miles,” he notes. “If you took 2 miles off of that, Atlanta would comply with the Clean Air Act; if you cut the 35 miles in half, the [environmental degradation] process would be reversed tremendously. This is my goal.”
Driving time to Atlanta could be cut by creating “nodes,” or townships, within a suburban area that provide additional options for work and leisure. Spohn comments that “It makes a lot of sense for products and services to be located in nodes, because it creates a shorter drive and therefore increases the quality of air and decreases stress levels.” For example, driving could be reduced if people walked or drove a short distance to theater events instead of driving 20 miles to attend a downtown performance. Creating nodes would also make public transit a more viable option. Because his ultimate goal was to encourage Duluth residents to walk or bicycle instead of drive, the city also had to plan for alternative, walkable and bikeable routes and make existing roads more pedestrian and cyclist friendly.
The way in which land is used also affects the health of the environment. Leaving plenty of green space would be key to the success of Spohn’s plans; increasing tree canopy and replacing asphalt with grassy parks reduces the environmentally detrimental heat-island effect. Making the downtown Duluth area appealing for home buyers is also critical in maintaining water quantity; revitalizing an existing community allows water taps and sewers to be reused instead of abandoned and reduces the need for additional water systems. According to Spohn, in as few as 30 years, metro-Atlanta builders will likely be restricted from creating communities that would require new water taps.
Spohn also made the health of Duluth residents a priority in his plans. He knew that in designing the downtown Duluth area, he and his fellow Downtown Development Committee members would need to create a backdrop that would provide residents with connectivity—a place where people of all ages and cultural backgrounds could work, play, and live. Traditional zoning ordinances would have no place in such a town; residential and commercial property would need to intermingle. The new downtown would need to be filled with activity, a place that would tempt locals to walk or bicycle to the town’s center instead of driving to a suburban shopping mall. The heart of Duluth would need to be accessible to its residents; sidewalks would have to be poured and streets modified to slow traffic and accompany a new, more active lifestyle. The emotional health of the community also took center stage in the plans. Scheduled social events and performances would motivate residents to venture outdoors and reconnect with their neighbors. In addition, restaurants with outdoor seating, kid-friendly water fountains, and unique retail stores would entice people to the town center.
BUILDING SUCCESS
In the fall of 2000, ground was broken, the first step in moving Duluth back to the “village atmosphere” so vital to improving the health of the community. Now, more than 2 years later, the first phase of the project has been completed. The heart of Duluth now consists of a 5-acre Town Green, a grassy area upon which locals can relax or play. A large fountain is located toward the center of the Green, providing an area for both reflection and recreation. One end of the Green is bordered by a street, which, despite being heavily traveled, has now been made more pedestrian friendly by being paved with a raised brick pedestrian walkway to prevent drivers from traveling at excessive speed.
At the other end of the Green, a terraced amphitheater serves as a community gathering place. Unique retail stores, restaurants with outdoor seating, and lofted homes were built around the Green in a style reminiscent of the past, reminding locals of the city’s history. The most striking building on the Green is a teahouse that also houses small retail and commercial businesses. Built in 1901, the teahouse was originally a private home. When Spohn undertook the Duluth project, the building had become dilapidated and subdivided into 4 rental units. One of Spohn’s first priorities was to refurbish the turn-of-the-century home, which would become the city’s architectural anchor.
Because parking is often limited in downtown areas, the success of the businesses located on the Green and of the overall village concept hinges on accessibility by local patrons. Walking to the Town Green is only possible if sidewalks are available. Although most newer subdivisions in the Duluth area were built with sidewalks, they ended at subdivision entrances, taking homeowners, according to Spohn, “nowhere.” Therefore, through Gwinnett County’s Special Purpose Limited Option Sales Tax (a tax that provides millions of dollars for the creation of sidewalks, bicycle paths, and other community-friendly projects), extensive sidewalks have been made available to residents who opt to walk rather than drive to the Town Green. Even more sidewalks will be added to connect neighborhoods to the downtown area as they are needed.
Although more downtown Duluth development is planned for the future, Spohn already can see the rewards of his work on a daily basis. His development company, Spohntown Inc, is now based in the second story of the teahouse facing the downtown Town Green. He needs only to look out of his office window to see his success: teenagers gathering after school at the old-fashioned soda fountain, toddlers running in and out of the fountain on a summer day, and many locals enjoying being outdoors and catching up with neighbors. Spohn is not the only one looking. “Here you see people of all sizes and backgrounds sitting and watching children play and taking in the architecture and fresh air,” he remarks. By 2005, the atmosphere originating in the Town Green area will radiate outward even further, as more neglected buildings are given a facelift and additional green space is planted.
Spohn credits the city of Duluth, local residents, and Gwinnett County for much of the project’s success. Duluth residents organize a fall festival each year, the proceeds of which go directly toward paying off the debt for the construction of the village amphitheater, and the city of Duluth funded the construction of the Town Green. Gwinnett County historically has worked hard to purchase land for recreation purposes, creating a precedent for the downtown Duluth transformation. According to Spohn, in the last 5 years, Gwinnett has done an “enviable job” of creating both “passive” and “active” parks. In addition, the state-funded Neighbor Woods Program, operating through the county’s Clean and Beautiful Board, has already been instrumental in coordinating the planting of more than 3000 trees since 2000.
ASPIRING TO A MODEL COMMUNITY
Other developers have indicated an interest in Spohn’s project since ground was broken more than 2 years ago. Through his work in Duluth, Spohn strives to “raise the bar” for other developers who might consider making similar changes to other existing downtown areas. “My hope is that if other developers could do 80% of what I have done in Duluth, we will all benefit,” he says. However, he admits that taking on such a project can be challenging for developers, because getting financing for unconventional development projects is difficult. In general, lenders feel safer funding projects that keep with tradition; however, that tradition is now characterized by sprawl. Spohn was fortunate to obtain funding from a lender that was familiar with his previous projects and willing to take a risk.
Spohn also realizes that the new Duluth “works” because demand for commercial buildings and for homes is greater than the supply. He encourages the city of Duluth to hire an independent, third-party consultant to evaluate absorption rates because, in Spohn’s words, “the worst thing a city could do is try to make decisions regarding growth based on opinion.” He cautions other developers against the mind-set that “bigger is better,” noting that Duluth residents regularly voice appreciation of the city’s intimacy.
The success of the Duluth project has inspired Spohn to plan the transformation of other suburban areas into more independent townships in the future. Although critics have called the creation of metro townships a fad, Spohn could not disagree more. His development of downtown Duluth has helped restore the tradition that a century ago united the community. It has also given the city’s residents a renewed sense of pride that will keep them anchored to their town, resulting in a lasting vitality.
Figure 1.
Doug Spohn on Duluth’s newly created Town Green. Photos courtesy of Catherine Staunton.
Figure 2.
Doug Spohn, progressive developer.