Jacksonville - Why?

[DONTBELIEVETHEHYPE]

Well thankfully TUFSU, you have a job in the private sector.

I wasnt aware of a New Urbanism Bible?

the way things are going, my job won't be around for long....every day I hear about someone else in the field being laid off.

as for the Bible, you found it...its called the charter of CNU....but if you don't do things in a certain way, charter members like Andres Duany blast you.

I suggest Mark Hinshaw's book, "True Urbanism".  If you read it you'll understand one perspective vis-a-vis New Urbanist philosophy as it relates to the integrity of urban planning and the revitilization of cities.

Should be required reading for anyone who has an interest which brought them to this website, and/or anyone with an interest in cities or city planning.

While the principles are good, the CNU, New Urbanism Charter, and the idea of highly prescribed transect planning is too formulaic for my tastes to apply strictly to planning & redevelopment in established cities and urban areas. 

[DONTBELIEVETHEHYPE]

Im an urbanist/new urbanist.   New Urbanism is a set of principles and ideas, not really a rigid code.

Anyone can read the Charter and realize that there are a hundred different iterations that achieve the goals.

But walkable, sustainable communities of place are really the only ones worth living in. 

I have read true urbanism as it happens, and I particularly found myself in enthusiastic agreement with his chapter on quirky commerce and businesses.

There have been some fairly sterile suburban iterations of New Urbanism, just as there have been fairly sterile iterations of broadway musicals like Hair.

Agree on all counts

[tufsu1]

I suggest Mark Hinshaw's book, "True Urbanism".  If you read it you'll understand one perspective vis-a-vis New Urbanist philosophy as it relates to the integrity of urban planning and the revitilization of cities.

Should be required reading for anyone who has an interest which brought them to this website, and/or anyone with an interest in cities or city planning.

While the principles are good, the CNU, New Urbanism Charter, and the idea of highly prescribed transect planning is too formulaic for my tastes to apply strictly to planning & redevelopment in established cities and urban areas. 

well said...I couldn't agree more

[samiam]

I agree that the new urdanism concept is sound but we need to repair the true urban areas and ensure they are built out prior to building New urban community's. There location needs to be thoroughly studied to ensure the infrastructure is already in place.

[hillary supporter]

Lakelanders sharp on this issue. and more. He should run for mayor! To go on Hypes great, inspiring thread, when one talks of jax being on the low end of U.S. major cities l.a. and nyc are lower! Nycs mass transit was a necessity to exist, but now its overburdened, its deficit is worse than jax,. Los Angelos cant be mentioned with the word urban. There are problems but they dont mount up to our "cultural centers" decline. These cities are unattainable to young, "struggling" artists. I lived in nyc since87 when it began its decline.  You must be a millionaire to live in manhattan, williamsburgs not much better.  The art and music is much more accessible here. Its ideal for young art, and will be. but acceptence of some issues are essential. and that seems to be the a definition of a urban jacksonville. Todays economic de recession can actually be a boon to our development (as was bankruptcy threats to nyc in the 70s her greatest time (Ed Koch is god).
GREAT thread HYPE!!!

[Keith-N-Jax]

NICE POST HILLARY

[DONTBELIEVETHEHYPE]

Lakelanders sharp on this issue. and more. He should run for mayor! To go on Hypes great, inspiring thread, when one talks of jax being on the low end of U.S. major cities l.a. and nyc are lower! Nycs mass transit was a necessity to exist, but now its overburdened, its deficit is worse than jax,. Los Angelos cant be mentioned with the word urban. There are problems but they dont mount up to our "cultural centers" decline. These cities are unattainable to young, "struggling" artists. I lived in nyc since87 when it began its decline.  You must be a millionaire to live in manhattan, williamsburgs not much better.  The art and music is much more accessible here. Its ideal for young art, and will be. but acceptence of some issues are essential. and that seems to be the a definition of a urban jacksonville. Todays economic de recession can actually be a boon to our development (as was bankruptcy threats to nyc in the 70s her greatest time (Ed Koch is god).
GREAT thread HYPE!!!

Thank you Hillary Supporter.

Actually, NYC is full of young struggling artists - and sub-millionaires.  They may not all live on the Upper East Side, or necessarily in Manhattan.  Re: NYC, do you realize that if Brooklyn was a stand-alone city rather than a borough, it would be in the top-ten cities in the US in population?    Urbanism in NYC is not just in Manhattan, although thats what many people think of.

Despite it's problems and the burden of it's population to its infrastructure, NYC is irresistable because of it's extraordinary culture, history, and constant activity.  And, it probably has some of the greatest urban/civic open spaces of any city in the world.

Could one of downtown Jacksonville's issues be that it hasn't embraced the value of the urban culture on a community-wide level?  Does that make downtown as a priority more difficult to achieve?

You mentioned acceptance of some issues are essential.  What specifically do you mean?   

[chris]

After reading this thread I understand that the reason "progressives" have failed gain a foothold in local government is that they fail to understand that the most fundamental part of any election is electability. While I believe any number of people on this site, and for that matter, around this city, are completely capable of governing with a clear focus and vision, there are not a pleathora of electable people. That requires networks of funding, positive relationships with decision makers and a charisma to charm the stripes off a zebra. OR it requires a platform that gets people emotionally invested in whatever that platform may be, and I don't really think very many people outside of these circles get emotionally invested in parking meters or urban blight.

Jacksonville's recent history has been one of skating by, of fulfilling the minimum neighborly requirements, and creating the shell of a community. What we really need is someone who can convince people to be passionate about life in Jacksonville, and then turn around and hire competent, future-thinking and past-acknowledging administrators to advise he or she on the pertinent issues facing the city.

So, will the next great leader please stand up?

[hillary supporter]

the city's implimentation(sic) of the auto is a success. and it continues today to accomodate the car. to talk of car congestion in jax is flat out an oxymoron. accordingly jax's population continues to grow, primarily with people leaving other metro areas. One phenomena is a migration from southern california, noted last year in an article in the new york times.
I believe steve kind of insinuated 1971s "consolidation" of jacksonville. This was a move on face value that gathered services from surrounding municipalities into one (the establishment of jax sherriff office and utilities, emergency services, ect) but, in effect it segregated black political power by diminishing jaxs black population, a clear majority, by infusing white suburbs into the city limits. argueably, after civil rights, those in power chose such to avoid black political dominance as in atlanta, savannah, detroit, chicago, baltimore, most major us metropolitian areas. but this is in theory. i disagree with grouping jax in the realm of oakland, detroit, baltimore, ect. i believe these areas iare in significant decline, i just cant see that in jacksonville, just because of an unrealized downtown urban movement.
Historcally, jacksonville is a city of segregation and remains so today. Jacksonville has a black experience and a white experience. this too must be accepted, if only for today.
Perhaps nyc is a city of struggling artists, but many more are avoiding it, due to economics that hinder their time to do art. Jaxs dan may and myself have left the area because of such. The physical space here in jax is our godsend to doing art. globatrons byron king is another, former artist of nycs williamsburg that resides in jax. to do art in jax also allows an artist to "be a big fish in a little pond". Such situation, although maybe viewed as self centered is essential. i myself have instant contact with all of jaxs artists, this carrys over to music contemporary also.
to many you are right to the conditions described of nycs charm. But many, many many more are drawn to nyc through flat out greed- the "financial capital of the world". it took little time for them to eliminate Noisy rock clubs of deviant characters demeaning the value of their mult million 1000 sq ft (one bath) co ops in union square.
i really share your anguish at this situation, but, imo, steves dropping of names is of little value. we need to take concrete steps, action ourselves, to make jacksonville the gem it really is. Big dunn is in the process of getting huge property in springfield uniting several to invest time and money.
Lets see what happens to economics in dt with this impending depression in front of us. like big dunn we need to approach dt property owners and negotiate purchase of their properties. but now i admit im talking as i have for many years in doing this. but only real action from us can make this happen- maybe now is the time, god im sounding like lenin!

[hillary supporter]

Jacksonville's recent history has been one of skating by, of fulfilling the minimum neighborly requirements, and creating the shell of a community.
your statement is one of relevance. Acquiring a NFL Francis, a superbowl, the new auditorium, the st johns town canter, highway development, and in recent history the skyway are plausible arguments against skating by. and I'm sure a huge majority of citizens would take to your description of a shell of a community. Ask any Bosnians. But your point is true to this thread that recent history has been catastrophic to urban development. Is that where we are, dicussion of urban delepment in jacksonville. My apologies Steven!

[heights unknown]

I think the general population not wanting to exceed is not the problem.  The general/majority of the population of our City, I believe, wants to be #1 or even in the top 10.  But the soluition and/or start to Jax becoming more of a first class, first tier, or even world class city must start with smart, ingenious and dedicated leadership in City Government which at this time is poor in these aforementioned traits to say the least.  Until we get a Mayor or Administration that's dedicated to ensuring that Jax is focused and led, in a positive and aggressive way, Jax will still have this identity problem and poor self esteem relative to other major or even mid-sized cities around the nation and even the world.

Heights Unknown

[heights unknown]

It shows the people of jax are willing to invest in this community.

How successful and well-conceived were these investments?

If they were well-conceived, why hasn't this investment shown improvement in the issues I initially noted? 

For an isolated instance, Jacksonville has invested a nice, new arena, but no longer has a minor league hockey team.  It basically sits vacant without a regular tenant aside from JU basketball.  While other downtowns have ridden the boom of the past 8 to 10 years, Jacksonville has been left behind.

What do you attribute this too - and how can improvements occur now in a slumping economy if it couldn't happen in a period of robust growth? 

Poor leadership is one of the reasons why Jax has not shown improvement in these areas.

Heights Unknown