Atlanta's Alley Renaissance

Alleys seem to be "popping up all over metro Atlanta. They're in swanky new suburban neighborhoods. They're being salvaged in older intown communities. And a British twist on the American alley is a key component of a townhouse development under way in the city's historic railroad core. Today's planners and some developers see alleys as a desirable back-to-the-future urban design... Atlanta has a historic love-hate relationship with these anonymous little streets. Urban legends abound on the demise of the city's system of alleys. And the modern-day impact is a set of sharply differing opinions on whether alleys should be reintroduced." [Editor's note: The AJC now requires free registration.]