Revitalizing Neighborhoods: Wicker Park

[Metro Jacksonville]

Revitalizing Neighborhoods: Wicker Park



Metro Jacksonville continues its tour through select neighborhoods that have been allowed to densify without suburban parking requirements. Although locally we tend to overlook the impact of having vibrant urban core neighborhoods outside of downtown, today we highlight a Chicago neighborhood that is becoming increasingly popular: Wicker Park

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2012-aug-revitalizing-neighborhoods-wicker-park

[fieldafm]

Great case study for Riverside.  Good job Lake!

Lakeview (Avondale) and Wicker Park (Riverside) are some of the best neighborhoods for InTown (The Loop) and Downtown Jacksonville to study and find ways to apply these lessons in our community. 

[Captain Zissou]

This article brings to mind a conversation that I had in February with some very intelligent guys in Decatur, GA (at the Brick Store Pub).  One was a regional planner from Seattle, one was a green building consultant from Atlanta, and then there was me.  The planner from Seattle talked about the process for determining how the region would grow and all the stakeholders that were involved in the process and the level of organization that had to be created in order to make sure Seattle was growing in the smartest way possible.  I was absolutely amazed because the concept seemed so foreign to anything I have seen in Jax.  Our neighborhoods, or blocks, or streets, or homes all think of things in isolation and how it impacts them.  Nobody cares how something will impact the city or the region as a whole, they just know that they don't want a car parked in front of their house or more trains going past their street. 

Jacksonville as a whole needs to realize that areas will need to support higher density if we are to grown in a smarter and more sustainable way.  Wicker Park recognized this and embraced it as a way to increase vibrancy in the neighborhood which in turn raised property values.  We are so far behind the times in the way that we think.  We need to start making strides to catch up with the rest of the world.

[JeffreyS]

One of my very favorite neighborhoods in the world. Riverside could have much of this and float all boats at the same time if they weren't so afraid of success.

[thelakelander]

The environment and scale of Wicker Park is the type of place I was looking for when I moved to Jax in 2003.  The vibe of Milwaukee Avenue is also the type of environment I hope corridors like Springfield's Main Street, Brooklyn's Park Street and Murray Hill's Edgewood Avenue can one day grow into.  Before all of the infighting over Kickback's and MM, it appeared that King Street and Five Points were also well on their way.

[Captain Zissou]

The environment and scale of Wicker Park is the type of place I was looking for when I moved to Jax in 2003.  The vibe of Milwaukee Avenue is also the type of environment I hope corridors like Springfield's Main Street, Brooklyn's Park Street and Murray Hill's Edgewood Avenue can one day grow into.  Before all of the infighting over Kickback's and MM, it appeared that King Street and Five Points were also well on their way.

I drove down Edgewood to Post last night and the infill and retail spaces are already in place.  It just needs a few bold retailers to give the area a try.  The old folks home brings down the East side of the street a bit, but it shouldn't prevent that area from becoming vibrant.  I just hope Murray Hill doesn't kill their one chance for incresaing their home values like Riverside has.  Murray Hill needs all the help it can get.