Urban Orlando: Connectivity in Action

[Metro Jacksonville]

Urban Orlando: Connectivity in Action

For months,  we've stressed the importance of  urban connectivity , clustering complementing uses, maintaining and integrating with existing building fabric.  Instead of continuing to preach the positives of such ideas, locally, lets see what happens when these concepts are applied in a city that has no where near the urban fabric, history or premier physical location, as Jacksonville...  Orlando.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/429

[zoo]

And a THANKS for point # 3 re: Hogan's Creek parkway (a very tarnished row of gems in the Emerald Necklace legacy project). Let's see some action!!!

[claytonbixby]

I lived in Orlando in the early 90's before the density, before any residents even lived downtown and in a lot of ways it resembles Jacksonville's downtown today.  There was one little strip of bars outside of the touristy Church Street, much like what exists today outside the landing.  I walked from near Lake Eola to work and at that time there was one run down apartment complex and a lot of vagrants, homeless and panhandlers.  When Orlando started to get serious about getting people downtown, they relaxed the licensure requirements for bars and restaurants allowing smaller places with limited capital to open.  By 1996 downtown was pretty vibrant, most of the surrounding neighborhoods (which had been mostly blighted like Springfield) had been restored, including re-bricking the old streets.  

When I moved to Jacksonville from Orlando in 1999 I realized that Jacksonville had an incredible downtown, much better than Orlando (in my opinion)  I see the trend here and while its seems to be taking forever, it is happening.  Hopefully this city and its leaders get a clue and start making it happen with a plan.  Also, as this city expands and commutes get longer, people will naturally look to the old city core for solutions.  Much like what happened in Orlando, Miami, Tampa and Atlanta.

[RG]

Jacksonville's historic core is vastly superior to Orlando's.  We just need to keep adding in fill housing and residents which will then attract retail, retaurants and bars which will then attract additional residents and hotels.  Pretty soon, you have a critical mass.  This is what is needed in downtown Jax in my view.  We have a far better urban grid layout with a far better setting and much better historic structures remaining (even given all the ones unfortunately torn down thus far).  Jacksonville is well on its way to developing a special downtown if the City officials would just get out of the way.