City Rules: How Regulations Affect Urban Form by Emily Talen

[jcjohnpaint]

I have heard Emily speak on NPR twice and I have read this book.  I really feel 'the code issue' is one of the major problems with Jacksonville.  Talen mentions how city code, which was so simple at one time, eventually started being used to fix (perceived social problems).  I quickly think about the destruction of Lavilla, Highways (95)  as barriers, streets such as State and Union creating a look around DT to break access to Springfield.  I think Stephen Dare wrote an article a while back about the flight into the suburbs really relates to this.  I wonder how one would go about changing outdated and messy city/ neighborhood codes? Could a great politician actually make changes to a city without changing code?  Could the DIA have a role here? 

[jcjohnpaint]

The book is titled 'City Rules:  How Regulations Affect Urban Form' by Emily Talen.  She uses Phoenix as her go to example, but you can just feel she is talking about Jacksonville.   

[HisBuffPVB]

The Road expansion and design goes back to the early 50s, and at one time was considered very forward thinking for that era. Roads are not what destroyed Sugar Hill, early urban renewal was a major contributor, but at the same time, the first urban renewal took down a lot of the substandard dwellings that existed where the downtown campus of the state college is, as well as the worst a round LaVilla. Highways maybe could have been routed another way, I 95 perhaps did not need to come directly through the city. But the Warren bridge was already up and seemed to be perfect to be part of the National Highway grid. But we have it and are stuck with it.

[thelakelander]

What became I-95 did have a huge negative impact on Sugar Hill. It took out Wilder Park and their library branch. Possibly two of the neighborhood's best assets. Urban renewal and hospital expansions were the final nails in the coffin.

[thelakelander]

^The real estate industry redlining the area, putting housing projects and a public waste incinerator there didn't help either. And now we wonder why places like this have higher crime? Simple. We created the environment that produces certain negative outcomes.

[jcjohnpaint]

in the hopes of fixing what?  The author also mentioned how many codes are such a mess nowadays.  One code acting as a band-aide another code to make someone happy (politician/ powerful resident).  She said it could really scare people to change codes, but how many people really know their local codes? 

I have been looking to buy a house in Riverside/ Avondale.  We recently ran into the developers who are building some the new houses off of King St.  They said it is close to impossible to work with the city on making projects like this happen.  I do understand that it is important to keep suburban stuff out of in-town neighborhoods, but when you look to downtown you can see how the city's meddling in all business does not seems to work.  I guess I wouldn't mind if they made things get built in better context, but looking at the new retail in Brooklyn- I think they are completely lost.  Sorry to get off of track.  To me it feels as if the local power-brokers have a half ass mickey mouse way of looking at everything and they let the codes/ rules/ regulations give them nothing, but their fo stucco dream palace.   I would be curious to see what some of the local development codes look like. 

[Charles Hunter]

Somewhat off-topic (which never happens around here)
I remember reading a book - years ago - that said in the 1950s and 1960s, urban expressways were intentionally located to serve as buffers between the races.  Some, as in Jax, pre-dated the Interstates, others were built as part of the Interstate system.  The book might have been "Superhighway: Superhoax".

[thelakelander]

The same happened here. At the time, Springfield and Brentwood were white neighborhoods. Moncrief and Durkeeville were black neighborhoods. What became I-95 was built as a buffer between the these urban core communities.  In the process, it took out most of Sugar Hill and what was left on the white side of the expressway was later taken out by urban renewal and hospital expansions.

[Noone]

City Rules-2013-373 Anyone? Penalty to property owners. Create an obligation to stick your hand out? Or get it slapped.
Active legislation could become law in one day. that would be BOLD ( Build Our Local Divide)

[Garden guy]

Too bad there are no rules that prevent a religious group which is so obviously a business to such up so much of downtown and pay nothing...i wonder what percent if fbc church member actually live down town

[thelakelander]

FBC should be the least of our concerns. Most of downtown is parking lots and demolished building sites. There's no evidence that this is because of FBC.

The crazy thing is FBC's campus is one of the few major urban nodes still left standing in DT. Imagine if it was integrated better with the rest of the area at street level?  Between them and FSCJ, we'd have a great jump start on bridging the gap between downtown and Springfield.

[Garden guy]

There is a bridge between dt and springfield..its called main st..

[thelakelander]

If that's the bridge, it feel down 30 years ago.  How do you handle the gap that stretches from Jefferson to Liberty?

[Garden guy]

Usually children bring people together..how about a music festival around that area....close the streets off and trow a party...people dont care about an area if they dont spend time in the space...we make it easier and easier for developers to build crap all over the city..how about making it harder everywhere else but downtown...or a building fee that is designated for dt only..we look like idiots when dt is empty yet we give millions of dollars in benifits for towncenters all over. Since fbc thinks they own the area shouldnt they pay for their play...wouldnt fbc make a great medical college..ill put up the first $1000 for their moving expenses.

[Noone]

What became I-95 did have a huge negative impact on Sugar Hill. It took out Wilder Park and their library branch. Possibly two of the neighborhood's best assets. Urban renewal and hospital expansions were the final nails in the coffin.

Speaking of graveyards. How about some pics of the massive demolition of historic housing stock  and new construction of the DOT project that is above and below the 20th St. on Main St.
City Rules- What the heck is a Regulatory Compliance Coordinator? Will south of 20th on Main be exempt? Just the DIA zone? Full JSO enforcement above 20th St. On Main St. Anyone.
2013-377-

A new Authority
Embrace It
Or
It will Embrace Us

City Rules- Everyone should be outraged about the Jim Love, Kevin Kuzel, 26'Berkman Floating dock compromise misrepresented by OGC during the 2013 FIND grant application process. This is a total DIA issue. Governor Scott, this is crushing.

Anyone anyone want to donate a buck to 2009-442? Artificial Reef Trust Fund.

I am Downtown and why you aren't.