I am sitting at the corner of 14th Street and West Peachtree Road in Midtown Atlanta at the largest Whole Foods in the southeastern United States, a stone’s throw from where not one but two people riding scooters were killed by motor vehicle drivers, prompting Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms to launch an urgent safe-streets initiative — months ago —although as of yet not one iota of change has happened here.
Just one block away stands the global headquarters of sustainability-leader Interface, the founder of which wrote a book about his come-to-Jesus realization about his ability to change the world for the better (and in the toxin-heavy carpet industry, no less) that further solidified the direction of my life more than a dozen years ago. I popped in the lobby in the pouring rain just moments ago to see if I could take a tour of the new “biophilic” building, perched on the edge of one of the most motor-vehicle-violent roads around, directly across the street from a MARTA transit station that (despite the crosswalks) requires taking your life in your hands to reach.
Apparently a guy named Joey leads the tours, and so I’m waiting to hear from him with the possibility that today would be a good day for a tour. And then I just need to get there, on foot*, without getting killed.
* you won’t see me Traveling at the Speed of Bike on this particular road anymore until it is no longer #DangerousByDesign. Plus, with Uganda looming, I am trying to reduce my exposure to motor vehicle violence in the USA.
Related posts about other sustainability-related buildings:
Update: Joey Shea texted me to say he would be happy to give me a tour. He then spent an hour and a half showing me everything from the water harvesting system two stories down to the blueberry and rosemary bushes on the fourth-floor roof. Thank you, Joey, for your generosity of time and spirit. I have much yet to say.
Traveling at the Speed of Bike 