Today’s walk took me to the Chilesburg area along Hays Boulevard and close to Todd’s Road and I-75.  This neighborhood as a whole is fairly new; new houses were under construction within view of the area through which I walked. The houses I passed were relatively old, but still built in the last 15 years or so.

Newer neighborhoods have adopted some common design elements.  While earlier neighborhoods were built on a trunk-and-branch philosophy, these areas typically feature a circle with branches.  They often feature parklets, as this area does.  They also seem to deal a little more thoughtfully with stormwater.  Perhaps this is due to required environmental impact investigation?  Streams are allowed to remain above ground and even in some cases landscaping around them (though I don’t know that we’ve reached a point where the landscaping is always suitable.)

What works: Trees work well to keep the highway sound down.  Stormwater stream is an amenity.

What doesn’t: The narrow streets caused some problems when roofers and recycling pickup (trash trucks) competed for the same space.