By Emma Uppelschoten.
Living in Candler Park was the catalyst for my love of Atlanta, walkability, and people. From the ages of 1–17, the neighborhood was my home base and inspiration for how I viewed the world around me. In my mind, no inner-city neighborhood could ever live up to the small-town community feel Candler Park has while being so intrinsically connected to such an exciting arts district as Little Five Points and the rich culture of the wider Atlanta area.
This August I began a Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning at Georgia Tech after graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Politics and Sociology from Queen Mary, University of London. Moving back to Atlanta, I was excited to be physically close to the people and spaces that I grew up in. For our semester-long project in my Community Dynamics & Engagement class, we were assigned to complete a character analysis of any neighborhood in the world, acting in the hypothetical role of a city planner tasked with learning about what development would best suit said neighborhood. As you could’ve predicted, I chose Candler Park! This project involved interviews with local stakeholders, research into the historic identity of the neighborhood, and physical site visits during important events such as the Fall Fest.
Throughout the completion of this character analysis, I spent a lot of time walking around Candler Park, taking photos on my father’s old film camera from the 80’s and reading the BiRacial History Project plaques. I had the opportunity to speak with neighbors from my childhood, like Roger and Dana, who helped remind me what the true character of Candler Park is. What resulted was a multimedia website containing bits and pieces of hand-drawn graphics and ephemeral scans alongside photos of both my childhood and Candler Park today. I feel that I’ve captured the spirit of the neighborhood while grappling with current issues and a complicated history. I hope you enjoy reading my project, and please feel free to reach out with any questions or comments!
See my project here: https://emmauppelncs.my.canva.site/final
Email me at: euppelschoten3@gatech.edu