The Urban Network: An Ecosystemic Framework for the Enhancement of Atlanta

The city can be considered to be one of the most delicate and intricate ecosystems on the planet, as it defines the organization of the functions and systems that make up every day human life. With the continuing trends of rapid population growth and urbanization, it is imperative to thoroughly and regularly examine the network of the city to ensure the continued ability of the urban model to sustain an adequate and resilient quality of daily life. The network of certain cities, like that of Atlanta, must be challenged to develop towards that of a distributed network. The goal of a distributed network is to prioritizes connectivity and density over continued sprawl. This thesis, “The Urban Network,” applies a framework of ecosystemic urbanism to analyze and subsequently enhance the overall network of the city of Atlanta by scrutinizing the urban fabric at a smaller, district scale. The process aims to improve the overall network through this scalar application by validating proposals for new urban developments and design within the overall fabric of the city of Atlanta. This validation is based on the evaluation of four factors of ecosystemic urbanism— morphology, complexity, efficiency, and equity— to promote a more effective and flexible urban fabric that provides an adequate and resilient quality of life to both the existing and future populations of Atlanta. KEYWORDS: Urban Design Atlanta Ecosystemic Urbanism Population Growth Morphology Complexity Efficiency Equity Hulsey Yar