http://www.economist.com/node/18178507?story_id=18178507&CFID=157498650&CFTOKEN=42057715[/color]]http://www.economist.com/node/18178507?story_id=18178507&CFID=157498650&CFTOKEN=42057715 (http://[color=red)
This article is relevant to Jacksonville for several reasons. For one, it (in the last paragraph) underscores the fallacy of the prevailing thinking in Jacksonville that the solution to downtown is more and more parking. The example provided notes that a Barnes & Noble in a revitalized Maryland "boutique city" (Bethesda, I'm guessing) does better than a nearby location with dedicated parking.
The seed for Bethesda's development came from a six-block project by Federal Realty, which transformed a tired and unattractive landscape of car repair shops and struggling businesses into a the nucleus of a thriving urban environment. http://www.federalrealty.com/mypropidex/?id=400-1020[/color]]http://www.federalrealty.com/mypropidex/?id=400-1020 (http://[color=red) Other examples of urban/suburban walkable projects are on their site (as are lots of car-centered shopping malls).
Renaissance Downtowns http://renaissancedowntowns.com/ (http://renaissancedowntowns.com/), quoted in the Economist piece, likewise specializes in urban transformations.
There's enough vacant or dormant property in downtown Jacksonville to provide a solid basis for a developer to come in and do something transformative. While we in Jacksonville tend to dwell on the negatives, the fact remains that downtown is an easy reach for San Marco, Riverside and Avondale (which could be made even easier by a comprehensive system of bike paths), and is well connected to many affluent parts of Jacksonville.
As successful as the so-called Town Center has become, it is approaching a tipping point where access becomes a PITA. Jacksonville should use this opportunity to embrace 21st century notions of urban development.