This is what many on this site have been saying for a while now in regards to fixed rail. We need better mobility/transit options to reconnect our urban neighborhoods and to stimulate denser development. Let's hope our leaders begin to take improving mobility in Jacksonville serious.
QuoteQ&A: Architect's focus is on the future
He says development of Jacksonville won't be hurt by political change.
In the 800-plus-square-mile land mass of Jacksonville, Bernard Zyscovich has his work cut out for him.
The Miami-based architect has been working under a $700,000 city contract since 2007 to plot out how the city will develop for decades to come.
While that's standard legwork in the city's comprehensive plan, the political backdrop has changed in recent weeks. Mayor John Peyton has called on local elected and business leaders to help develop park space to boost the city's profile for business in the downtown area.
Problem is, cash is tight.
The Times-Union recently caught up with Zyscovich for his take on Peyton's plan and how it will mesh into his own developing vision for Jacksonville.
Q. The mayor has recently stressed a need to develop open space downtown as a way to draw visitors, residents and businesses. How does this idea fit in to your work on in the city's visioning process?
A. It fits perfectly. We're trying to be good listeners to the community and one of the things that keeps coming up is just that - how to generate more green space.
Q. The mayor's idea has been criticized because the city is strapped for cash right now. How does future cost of redevelopment factor in to long range visioning?
A. You don't necessarily have to pay for everything right away. In a vision, you establish the priorities of where you want to end up. The first thing you need to find is what people want.
Q. Looking at Jacksonville from the outside, what sort of challenges are there in juggling the attributes and needs of the city's neighborhoods?
A. It seems to me that Jacksonville is in a unique position because it has a lot of things other Florida cities would be jealous of. There's industry - places where people make things and that's an opportunity for job development. But the urban centers are also places people have wanted to escape.
The biggest challenge is finding out how to make a more sustainable Jacksonville, how to make a more compact city - and Jacksonville is anything but compact. There's a need for a focus on mobility and to protect neighborhoods while not making it easy to gobble up more land. The expense of that would be mind-boggling as it puts stress on the city to continue adding services.
Q. How critical is it for neighborhoods to tie better together for the future vitality of the city?
It's critical. It's fine for people to go home to their neighborhood, and the cul-de-sac community offers security. But even those people are complaining that they get out to the arterial road it's congested.
I think you have the business community in the downtown development district and that won't migrate anywhere. The neighborhoods around downtown each have a land area separating them, so you have people working downtown but not living there. One of the biggest opportunities is finding a way to connect those neighborhoods. We think developing those areas will depend on developing the business corridors.
david.hunt@jacksonville.com
http://www.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-06-17/story/qa_architects_focus_is_on_the_future
So, has MetroJacksonville contacted Bernard Zyscovich to schedule a meeting to discuss the research and studies that they've done on mass transit?
Zyscovich is well aware of Metro Jacksonville. The site has been used as a background resource for their visioning work. I'm also a SE Visioning Committee member.
Awesome, I figured that was the case....just wanted to make sure.
My goodness, this man actually has a working mind, unlike many eladers in this city. I somewhat disgree with the politics, we need a progressive mayor that is willing to take this city to the next level socially and economically.
QuoteThe truth is that the business community is not in downtown Jacksonville.
I don't think they have a contract to do a vision for downtown. However, they do have one for the Urban Core. So, he could be referring to educational (FCSJ), governmental (the city), medical (Baptist/Shands/St. Vincents) and industrial sectors, in addition to corporate offices.
QuoteAbsent from any of this planning process--- (And this is a really huge and damning issue)-- is any mention of a strategy for redensifying the core. There is no thought of what makes an internal city remassify.
You'll be suprised, but they have given suggestions of how to redensify. It might be a good idea to contact the city's urban core visioning representative to get more information on Zyscovich's work for the urban core.
QuoteThe Urban Core Vision Plan Community Forum and Panel Discussion was held on February 6, 2008 at the Main Library downtown. The links below are presentations from the event:
History (8530kb)
Future Land Use Map (FLUM) (1645kb)
JaxPort (656kb)
Urban Core Community Vision Plan Forum Presentation (4171kb)
The first meeting of the Urban Core Vision Plan Steering Committee was May 21, 2008. This link is for the Urban Core Vision Plan Meeting Summary (97k). If you would like more information on the Urban Core Visioning, please e-mail Adrianne Lathrop or call 904-630-1446.
http://www.coj.net/Departments/Planning+and+Development/Community+Planning/Visioning.htm
cool.
Its not done yet.
QuoteI agree with the transit conclusion (which we can all thank the tireless efforts of Ennis for----since the beginning he has been making sure that this component is front and center at the discussions)
Hear, hear! Not withstanding the cumulative contributions of so many on this site (Ock, you Stephen, Bridge Troll, just to name a very few that come to my mind) in this debate which have inspired me and no doubt countless others.
QuoteMore greenspace is simply not it. In fact, it has the exact opposite effect.
At first glance this was my thought as well. It is fine if it has a purpose and connects rather than detracts. I would think that our outlying historical neighborhoods connecting to downtown (trolleys, anyone? Oh wait we have those trolley buses) should be a major focus. Not to mention taking full use of our riverfront, not many cities can claim what could be such a draw.
QuotePeople do not come downtown because of the awesome dog crap park.
Speak for yourself, Mister! :)
Quote from: thelakelander on June 17, 2009, 01:33:26 PM
Its not done yet.
That explains why the conclusions page is blank. The Urban Core info pdf is very informative.
BLah, blah, blah, you won't get anywhere with transportation as long as peyton is mayor.
I do like the hot air though. I have some popcorn standing by.....
Zyscovich has lots of hot air he can sell you....for a measly $1 million (the $700k was the original contract...they got an addendum)
QuoteZyscovich has lots of hot air he can sell you....for a measly $1 million (the $700k was the original contract...they got an addendum)
And does that get you the "precious" light rail.....I think not.
mtrain...read this article and then let us know your thoughts on "precious" light rail.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/14/realestate/14sqft.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1245039238-ESG+D36j9ZXzb2UZTCRhtQ
According to public records, the addendum was to $1.2 million dollars. An awful lot of money to state the bleeding obvious if you ask me.
Quote from: mtraininjax on June 17, 2009, 10:01:53 PM
QuoteZyscovich has lots of hot air he can sell you....for a measly $1 million (the $700k was the original contract...they got an addendum)
And does that get you the "precious" light rail.....I think not.
yes...the overall contract was for $1.2 million, but subconsultants got 20%...so Zyscovich ended up with around $1 million