Former Gulf Life Insurance Headquarters to be demolished

[jax_hwy_engineer]

Fire departments are one of the biggest deterent to walkable urbanism, so this is just par for the course.

What?

The trucks disrupt the peace.

Yeah, wish they'd just shutup and let the town burn to the ground. Nothing spurs new urbanism like another Great Fire! 1901 move over, Great Fire of 2018 is gonna be wicked!

/s

It has been well documented by the good people at Strong Towns and CNU.

Notice the "/s" at the end, denoting my incredible over-the-top sarcasm. I obviously don't want the town to burn down, nor do I think fire trucks in an urban environment are conducive to a walkable urban environment, but they're an absolutely necessary part of modern society, especially in an urban environment. I brought sarcasm in to add some whimsy to a sub-conversation that began about firetrucks, but I wonder why it was even brought up in the first place. Sure, the trucks are bad for walkable urbanism, as is surely documented, but having the town burn down is certainly worse than a lack of walkability (which only gets disrupted when a firetruck needs to leave the station). You can't get rid of firetrucks because they're bad for walkability, so why even mention it?

Guys, we're missing the point. If this was an actual fire station where first responders would be dispatched from it would be a completely different discussion. This is an office building. No More. If this was an office building for a bank, would the opinion be any different?

That's my point, I just went the long way about saying it (and failed to make the point that this is just an office building)

[vicupstate]

Another Jacksonville step down. But is this a surprise? We are a suburban city. I'm sad.

This is what I struggle with here.  How do we change the mind-set of the average Jaxson?  I found the New Urbanism movement in 2007 when I realized the tax rate we will have to pay eventually to cover the cost of sprawl.  As a right-wing tea party conservative the New Urbanism movement really spoke to me because it makes so much sense economically and socially.

I know it can be done because places like OKC, Tulsa, Omaha, Des Moines, Memphis, Nashville, Wichita, and on and on and on have all managed to do it.

The leadership of the city has to 'get it' and they have to have the courage to implement it.  It matters little if Joe Six Pack or Jack White Collar Worker 'get it' or support it. It really doesn't.

If the standards that are necessary are adopted and adhered to, then the built environment will reflect that over time. 

Once the walk ability and vibrancy is established, Joe and Jack will show up to the bars and restaurants and help create more vibrancy. They don't have to understand how it got that way, they will support it if it supplies what they want.         

[Kerry]

Another Jacksonville step down. But is this a surprise? We are a suburban city. I'm sad.

This is what I struggle with here.  How do we change the mind-set of the average Jaxson?  I found the New Urbanism movement in 2007 when I realized the tax rate we will have to pay eventually to cover the cost of sprawl.  As a right-wing tea party conservative the New Urbanism movement really spoke to me because it makes so much sense economically and socially.

I know it can be done because places like OKC, Tulsa, Omaha, Des Moines, Memphis, Nashville, Wichita, and on and on and on have all managed to do it.

The leadership of the city has to 'get it' and they have to have the courage to implement it.  It matters little if Joe Six Pack or Jack White Collar Worker 'get it' or support it. It really doesn't.

If the standards that are necessary are adopted and adhered to, then the built environment will reflect that over time. 

Once the walk ability and vibrancy is established, Joe and Jack will show up to the bars and restaurants and help create more vibrancy. They don't have to understand how it got that way, they will support it if it supplies what they want.       

Maybe this question is unanswerable, but how is it the Jax leadership seems to be the only elected officials in the whole country that DON'T get it already?  Is it possible that the people don't get it so they keep electing people that don't get it either?

[Steve]

I don't think we're the only ones who's elected officials don't get it. But, I do think other cities do a better job listening to their experts they have on staff.