In 2010, an ambitious project was on the drawing boards in Mableton, Georgia. It was 1 of 14 Administration on Aging pilot projects nationwide. Launched by the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), it aimed to reshape Mableton's traditional suburban design to create a community that promotes social engagement, walkability, services, and a sense of place for a diverse, intergenerational population.
It was a bold 40-year plan with work already underway, but one obstacle could not be overcome -- re-engineering one four-lane road that cut through the heart of the city. It was techinically, by engineering standards, entirely possible, but in the end a county policy decision denied the changes and denied Mableton its redesigned community.
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