Elements of Urbanism: Harrisburg, PA

[Metro Jacksonville]

Elements of Urbanism: Harrisburg, PA



Metro Jacksonville takes a look at a city that proves big things can come in small packages: Harrisburg, PA


Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2009-aug-elements-of-urbanism-harrisburg-pa

[vicupstate]

Looks like a city with a lot on the ball.  $3 billion in investment in a city that size, and with little growth in population, is pretty amazing.   Obviously the long-serving mayor is a visionary with the talent to implement as well as plan.   

The Greenbelt looks/sounds pretty impressive too.

I'd be interested in finding out more about the policies, incentives, partnerships, etc. that led to this turn of fortunes.   

[Wacca Pilatka]

A very interesting and educational article as usual.  I had visited Harrisburg many times on the way to see my relatives in Scranton, but I learned a lot from this.

Doesn't Harrisburg have a tax policy that disfavors allowing lots to remain/become vacant?  Someone mentioned it in a thread a few months ago.

[heights unknown]

What a beautiful beautiful city.  Clean, pristine, New England look, I could live there.  Obviously this city is supposed to be bigger than what it is; you can tell by the streets, buildings, etc.  Was this another high industry town (steel?) where the industry faltered and disappeared and the people flighted?  Still, it is a very beautiful looking town/city.

Heights Unknown

[hanjin1]

Dang, Harrisburg puts us to shame.

[Wacca Pilatka]

What a beautiful beautiful city.  Clean, pristine, New England look, I could live there.  Obviously this city is supposed to be bigger than what it is; you can tell by the streets, buildings, etc.  Was this another high industry town (steel?) where the industry faltered and disappeared and the people flighted?  Still, it is a very beautiful looking town/city.

Heights Unknown

I think it's just a matter of flight to the suburbs from a very compact city (which unfortunately seems to have continued, though at a slower pace than in the past, despite the reinvestment in the city).  The metro area seems to have seen a small but steady amount of growth over time and I don't think the area was ever particularly industrial.  The area doesn't have the feel of a place in decline the way Scranton or some of the other small, zero- or negative-growth areas in that region have.  If anything I've seen growth in the industrial corridor southwest of town over time.  Hartford would probably be a fair comparison--government center, metro area is not unhealthy per se in its growth rate, but the small-in-land area core city has seen a population loss due to suburban relocations.

[vicupstate]

Indeed, Harrisburg as well as Pittsburgh have an unusual property tax policy which discourages holding vacant land.

Maybe I should google the mayor's name.  I didn't find much from googling Harrisburg.

[tufsu1]

Dang, Harrisburg puts us to shame.

I can assure you that this is not the case!

[ralpho37]

Okay I know I always point out our lack of convention space, but seriously, how pathetic is it that Harrisburg, PA has TWICE as much convention space as Jacksonville, FL?!?  It's embarrassing and I still stand by my belief that this is why Jacksonville continues to struggle in so many areas.

[heights unknown]

Okay I know I always point out our lack of convention space, but seriously, how pathetic is it that Harrisburg, PA has TWICE as much convention space as Jacksonville, FL?!?  It's embarrassing and I still stand by my belief that this is why Jacksonville continues to struggle in so many areas.

It is pathetic isn't it?  A city of almost 1 million (Jax) with under 100K square feet of convention space.  We should have at least 300K or more feet.  No one wants to come here to Jax with substandard or lacking convention space or facilities.  Harrisburg, barely a city of 50,000 with that much convention space; must be a lot going on there.  It (Harrisburg) does "kind of" put us to shame.

Heights Unknown

[Fallen Buckeye]

Okay I know I always point out our lack of convention space, but seriously, how pathetic is it that Harrisburg, PA has TWICE as much convention space as Jacksonville, FL?!?  It's embarrassing and I still stand by my belief that this is why Jacksonville continues to struggle in so many areas.

It is pathetic isn't it?  A city of almost 1 million (Jax) with under 100K square feet of convention space.  We should have at least 300K or more feet.  No one wants to come here to Jax with substandard or lacking convention space or facilities.  Harrisburg, barely a city of 50,000 with that much convention space; must be a lot going on there.  It (Harrisburg) does "kind of" put us to shame.

Heights Unknown

The expo center in Harrisburg needs to be so big because of the types of events being held there. They are focused on agriculture. It's horseshows and 4-H events and rodeos and things like that being held there for a the most part which I imagine probably wouldn't be happening in downtown Jacksonville. Also, since Harrisburg is the state capital and is located right between the two big population centers in Pennsylvania it is a natural place to hold state events like the PA Farm Show. I don't think it's a good convention center to compare ours to.

[tufsu1]

I agree...although some of these events do happen in Jax...at the fairgrounds

[Ocklawaha]

Okay I know I always point out our lack of convention space, but seriously, how pathetic is it that Harrisburg, PA has TWICE as much convention space as Jacksonville, FL?!?  It's embarrassing and I still stand by my belief that this is why Jacksonville continues to struggle in so many areas.

It is pathetic isn't it?  A city of almost 1 million (Jax) with under 100K square feet of convention space.  We should have at least 300K or more feet.  No one wants to come here to Jax with substandard or lacking convention space or facilities.  Harrisburg, barely a city of 50,000 with that much convention space; must be a lot going on there.  It (Harrisburg) does "kind of" put us to shame.

Heights Unknown

The expo center in Harrisburg needs to be so big because of the types of events being held there. They are focused on agriculture. It's horseshows and 4-H events and rodeos and things like that being held there for a the most part which I imagine probably wouldn't be happening in downtown Jacksonville. Also, since Harrisburg is the state capital and is located right between the two big population centers in Pennsylvania it is a natural place to hold state events like the PA Farm Show. I don't think it's a good convention center to compare ours to.

A good convention center compared to ours? We don't have a convention center, we have a wonderful, and potentially dynamic State railroad terminal, suffering from acute domestic abuse! If we are not careful and proactive, even that could be ruined by the current crop of plans.

OCKLAWAHA

[ralpho37]

Beautiful picture by the way.

Now imagine those vintage Florida Easy Coast, Atlantic Coast Line, Southern Railway, and Seaboard Air Line passenger trains of the 1950's and 60's replaced by modern Amtrak and commuter trains!  If only we had the initiative to make it a reality!  ...Oh, and also build a gleaming, new 300,000 sqft convention center at the other end of the Skyway down by the riverfront!

[Sigh]  ...if only....