Elements of Urbanism: Columbus,GA

[Metro Jacksonville]

Elements of Urbanism: Columbus,GA



Metro Jacksonville takes a visit to the downtown of Georgia's first consolidated city: Columbus.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2010-jan-elements-of-urbanism-columbusga

[CS Foltz]

Did you guys forget the Confederate Maritime Muesum? Unless I have my worlds mixed up I could have sworn that was there!  Tom's is there also............gotta cell site on the roof of the production bldg, part of the "Cingular" family! I allways did like that City and ten years ago was just starting to expand and upgrade!

[thelakelander]

I couldn't explore much.  My time was limited due to a swiftly approaching tunderstorm that also limited my time in Birmingham.

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2009-nov-elements-of-urbanism-birmingham

[Wacca Pilatka]

Noted Columbus natives include Wayne Weaver.

[Overstreet]

Lets not forget the largest employer in the area is the US Army at Fort Benning, GA.

The river and state line breaks up the city between Columbus, Ga on one side and Phenix City, Al on the other. Residential migration is to the Alabama side. Lower taxes and housing cost being the main factor. Some feel the Alabama schools are better than Georgia side schools. 

[CS Foltz]

No one made mention of the Time Zone that splits the Columbus/Phenix City into two..........that allways played hell with meeting the site tech's on both sides...........had to make sure which time zone was discussed and what time the meet was on for! Columbus was a typical Army town for sure!

[heights unknown]

Anyone know what was the rationale or reasoning behind Columbus consolidating?  Kind of a small city mind you with a metro population not too far removed from the city limits.

"HU"

[Wacca Pilatka]

Anyone know what was the rationale or reasoning behind Columbus consolidating?  Kind of a small city mind you with a metro population not too far removed from the city limits.

"HU"

I'd ask the same question as to Augusta, which is similarly sized (city and metro and post-consolidation).

[thelakelander]

and Athens......

[zazou]

I moved to Jacksonville from Columbus.  The city is alright, but old money still owns the city.  The same people that own Synovus and TSYS own the city.  Columbus's growth will always be hindered by the lack of a major interstate.  They created the worlds longest exit (I-185) to connect to I- 85.  Opelika and Auburn is definitely growing faster than Columbus since I-85 runs right through both cities.  There has always been an ongoing feud between Columbus and Atlanta on where Coca Cola was actually invented.... Oh, and the one saving grace to Columbus is the Springer Opera House...   Columbus has a lot of history, but the really fascinating story was Phenix City, just across the bridge...   

[CS Foltz]

Well Athens has U of G going for it, typical college town, but Columbus is typical Army town. Worked in both over the years and never had any problems with either! Columbus has, or had, the only Confederate Maritime Museum that I have ever run across! Only other Confederate Museum that I know of is a Iron Clad in Pascagoula that was continually sprayed down with water to keep it from falling apart........vessel was sunk in Pascagoula River and raised and sat on the bank not far from where the new Coast Guard station was to be built!

[stjr]

A city a lot smaller than Jax doing more with less.  Based on the article, a downtown riverfront park, riverwalks, downtown college facilities, re-use of historic buildings, a convention center not much smaller than ours...

And Columbus lacks a good interstate connection, no major river, no port, no ocean, no Florida weather, no mass of population or corporate community on par with Jax, no NFL football team, living in the shadow of Atlanta, etc.  Given those "handicaps" I would say they are doing a superior job of leveraging what little they have versus us.  Once again, it comes down to quality, not quantity. And, leadership, of course. If towns like this can aspire to be a little "Jax", there is no reason we can't aspire to be a little "Atlanta", "Miami", "Philadelphia", or "San Francisco". 

[CS Foltz]

stjr............thats gonna change now...........didnja hear about how Johnny's gonna turn downtown around? I don't believe John anymore than I can throw him down the road.......I mean just too many years of lip service, bad decisions and handing out favors to his buddies! and now all of a sudden .....poof, gonna work on downtown? I am a skeptic, until I see it , I won't believe!

[Ocklawaha]

A city a lot smaller than Jax doing more with less.  Based on the article, a downtown riverfront park, riverwalks, downtown college facilities, re-use of historic buildings, a convention center not much smaller than ours...

And Columbus lacks a good interstate connection, no major river, no port, no ocean, no Florida weather, no mass of population or corporate community on par with Jax, no NFL football team, living in the shadow of Atlanta, etc.  Given those "handicaps" I would say they are doing a superior job of leveraging what little they have versus us. 

Actually stjr, they ARE a PORT!  They have had a port since before the War of Yankee Aggression, in which sailing and steam ships met the steamboat and barge trade.  This is why the Confederate Navy used Port Columbus as a major base and construction yard. (Well that, and the talents of one excellent African American Engineer by the name of King, who designed the gunboats for the South).

http://www.gaports.com/Default.aspx?tabid=342

Columbus also has a better turn-key streetcar line then Savannah did, time will tell if they plan to use it.


OCKLAWAHA

[stjr]

Actually stjr, they ARE a PORT!  
http://www.gaports.com/Default.aspx?tabid=342

Ock, you call this a port?  LOL.  Maybe on a technicality!



By the way, I got another chuckle looking at GPA's map showing the connections to Savannah and Brunswick ports.  Many (non-port) cities in the East/Midwest are on the map.  Oddly, the Brunswick map "pin" totally obliterates the location of Jax.  Very funny.  You can tell who they see as the competition!