So what's your vision of what Jacksonville could be?

[Anti redneck]

We are all here because we all have one thing in common: we want to see Jacksonville reach its fullest potential. What does everyone on here want to see Jacksonville become? What is it that you think Jacksonville has to become great? How do you see that happening? What would it take to get there? I think we could get somewhere with this thread. Also, be specific on details.

[Jdog]

In my long-winded way, I’ll provide some thoughts along with some suggestions as how to get there (if only partially and naively). 

Start working from the guiding principle and go from there:
Jacksonville should be what it is, accent what it is, and market what it is.  It’s natural, it’s green, it is home-grown. 

Jacksonville’s slogan needs to change: it needs to proudly scream who we are for both our residents and outsiders alike:  overall, Jacksonville is “First Florida, Real Florida” (a concept not a suggested new slogan).   

In conjunction, therefore, Jacksonville desperately needs to enhance (hell, almost create) connectivity of those “First Florida, Real Florida” assets (and that is not first a tourist-centric idea â€" it is how we’ve lived and still live in many places).  Unfortunately, this second item is not cheap. 

Start with the inexpensive for this second item: Not the rebranding, but rather, for the first time, a stating what the “Skyway” is: it is a green, environmentally friendly transportation system, which, though a modern construct, stays concordant with our surrounding natural, green environment (that is, the “Real Florida”).  (I’d note in many cities a Skyway refers to elevated pedestrian walkways that connect downtown office towers.)

But how can green transit really be green if it is stubbed, if it leaves the users nowhere but off this green system without arriving at their destination?  It can not be substantially expanded, not now politically anyway, I think, but it can be, with leadership, an asset that connects all of the elements of our immediate downtown. 

A new convention center - architecturally (and strongly and uniquely) blending with the St. Johns River - provides the opportunity for a one or two stop expansion of the Skyway (replace with some kind of new name emphasizing its green nature) as well as expansion of other green systems in the immediate downtown area.  It may be possible for the revenue system created to develop the convention center to be packaged with other downtown asset improvements.  There might be great opportunity here.   

Specifically, the (newly-named) Skyway needs to connect to this new convention center; the riverwalk needs expansion to the architecturally classic Riverside area (definitely Memorial Park);  more transit, a streetcar system, needs to tie together other “First Florida” architectural areas -- the denser small-town areas -- with each other and with the downtown area; a river pier; Hogans Creek.  Sacramento is planting a million trees.  How far can we go?   

In large cities, and at large hotels, transit â€" usually buses â€" bring guests to outer tourist sites.  That may not be possible in Jacksonville, but perhaps if the city, JTA, the convention center, and all hotels work together, some system can be hobbled together, if only running a few times on the weekends, to get guests (and residents) to the outer green areas of Jacksonville.  It’s worth a try.   

Outer green areas could include the zoo (it already has a Florida section, perhaps this would expand and be emphasized), Cedar Point or some launch area into some of the wetlands (and somehow a defined one or two marked, trail system in the marsh areas to be followed) and the beaches, among others.  Transit points (the airport and, yes, a consolidated transportation center), downtown hotels, points of interest, the convention center, need to market this transit system and detail its stops.   

A little less clear, a little more strained in its connectivity, this wild Florida, this natural Florida, comes along with a young demographic.  It is artistic (Read Five Points); it has a past tied with the movie industry; and with a music industry that was soulful, and, in many cases, proud to be down-home, real and sourced from a Southern environment.  Embrace and promote.  Market it outside and with the orientation of a new language, even just to ourselves, and see more flourishing of this element as a result.  We live inside language. 

Fervently opposed by some posters on the website (sorry for my opinion), billboards and bright lights should not have a large place in this city. We look pretty good on this front right now, but imagine someday the city allowing billboards on Butler: Drive to the aesthetically pleasing, place to recuperate Mayo Clinic; to the beaches; to the beautiful golf courses and tournaments at Sawgrass with large billboards along the way?  And I don’t see the connection with the largest urban park system. 

The graduate school at the University of North Carolina took a high level look at Jacksonville (I can no longer find this study on the Internet), but it concluded Jacksonville was short in realizing the importance of its environmental assets; the importance, and potential success sourcing from its green assets and green promotion. 

Can we tie all of our assets together; make a whole out of these assets?  That is how we need to be and become.  I think so.   

[JFman00]

It's a shame Jacksonville doesn't have a large, downtown, waterfront park. In fact, it's a shame how little access the public has to the river in general (6 acres of Memorial Park doesn't cut it).

Tie together Riverside/Avondale/Downtown/San Marco with a transit system other than buses.

[Jdog]

+ 1000

[ben says]

Random, but always thought Jax should advertise its merits more on billboards on 95. Driving south into Florida, you'd hardly even know Jax existed until you hit downtown. We should advertise our historic districts and riverfront more. Furthermore, I wonder how many road trippers know how cool the 5 Points exit is...I mean, jeez, it's right off 95! You'd never know its there because there's NO signage.

[Jdog]

I did like the green signs on I-95 that used to say "Riverfront" (kind of unique)...they've all been changed to "downtown." 

[Jdog]

...and being who we are I'd like to see some of our own unique language and sayings captured...I'd love to see the green direction signs on the Arlington Expressway say "Townbound".  I'd love to see the green direction signs on I-95 say "Northbank Riverfront" and "Southbank Riverfront." 

[Adam W]

I'm by no means an expert on this topic, so I apologise if I get some of the details wrong, but:

I'd like to see a focus on infill and reducing sprawl. Some kind of development boundary or incentive to get developers to work with what we have before destroying more woodlands or whatever to build new developments.

I'd also like to see more affordable apartments downtown in order to entice the kinds of people who would be willing to move downtown when there are little in the way of amenities - in other words, students, artists, etc. That way downtown would eventually develop into a neighbourhood and attract more local business. And then the urban professional types can move in once it's safe and has a 'funky' personality or whatever.

I'd also like to see dedicated bus lanes and cycle lanes.

[ben says]

I'm by no means an expert on this topic, so I apologise if I get some of the details wrong, but:

I'd like to see a focus on infill and reducing sprawl. Some kind of development boundary or incentive to get developers to work with what we have before destroying more woodlands or whatever to build new developments.

I'd also like to see more affordable apartments downtown in order to entice the kinds of people who would be willing to move downtown when there are little in the way of amenities - in other words, students, artists, etc. That way downtown would eventually develop into a neighbourhood and attract more local business. And then the urban professional types can move in once it's safe and has a 'funky' personality or whatever.

I'd also like to see dedicated bus lanes and cycle lanes.

+1. I think 99.99% of this forum would agree.

[jcjohnpaint]

Recently I was talking to a professor at UCF.  UCF just moved their Fine Arts graduate building downtown near the old Amway Colosseum.  This man said the city is going to be making the site of the old Amway Colosseum a huge art village.  He said the city of Orlando is working very close to the art community to make this 'art village' a reality.  It is kind of sad that Jacksonville is so close, but the leadership is so far from this kind of idea.  All artists here have to chop through all the tape to make something exciting happen... and I applaud the ones who do.  Our city leadership needs to step up its game if it wants to compete (even with our close neighbors). 

[Anti redneck]

These are all amazing ideas and I think it could all come together if someone from MJ got on the inside.

[jcjohnpaint]

yep

[tufsu1]

Recently I was talking to a professor at UCF.  UCF just moved their Fine Arts graduate building downtown near the old Amway Colosseum.  This man said the city is going to be making the site of the old Amway Colosseum a huge art village.  He said the city of Orlando is working very close to the art community to make this 'art village' a reality.  It is kind of sad that Jacksonville is so close, but the leadership is so far from this kind of idea.  All artists here have to chop through all the tape to make something exciting happen... and I applaud the ones who do.  Our city leadership needs to step up its game if it wants to compete (even with our close neighbors). 

like Jacksonville,m Orlando has had its share of unfulfilled promises...their creative village has potential...but I'll be taking a wait and see attitude

http://www.cityoforlando.net/elected/venues/creative.htm

[Ocklawaha]

I'd like to see streetcar's, commuter trains, and light-rail, in addition to bus, BRT and the monorail.

Of more immediate importance I'd like us to have a pro active leadership with regards to our place on the national rail map. We literally straddle EVERY railroad line to enter the state. Even trains coming in from the Pensacola and the west, MUST roll through town to get down into Central Florida.

The US Secretary of Transportation as openly stated he wants Amtrak service between Atlanta and Jacksonville, a city of our size should be able to lobby enough to make that happen. Including the existing system our passenger train network could be easily expanded into:

JAX - NYC via Columbia
JAX - NYC via Charleston
JAX - NYC via Charlotte
JAX - CHICAGO via Birmingham and Memphis
JAX - MIAMI via Orlando
JAX - MIAMI via Daytona Beach
JAX - TAMPA via Orlando
JAX - TAMPA via Ocala (Tampa trains could split with a through section running on to Fort Myers)
JAX - NEW ORLEANS
JAX - Cincinnati via Valdosta and Atlanta (trains could split at Cincinnati for Chicago-Indainapolis/Toledo-Detroit/Columbus-Cleveland)

We've never had a better opportunity then with the new FECI announcements. Obviously Scott is now willing to play trains, so let's get him to fill our wish list too.

[Anti redneck]

You want to know my vision?

I see a river that is very underutilized that could become a great tourist attraction if proper leadership was in place. I see a crosswalk connecting the northbank to the southbank, with something to attract visitors to the southbank. I see the warehouse district with many places to go and exotic shops to see. I see at least 5 more skyscrapers being added downtown, and if downtown policies are changed, it is not just a dream. I see possibly a mini-hotel being added to the landing along with the Hyatt next to it. I see convenient public transportation getting people to places like the airport, the stadium, riverside, etc. I see more green signs along the highways making it easy for visitors to find their way around town. I see a highway with much scenery, going from downtown to the beaches. Who likes to take Atlantic/Beach all the way down? Yeah, you can take 95 to JTB, but how many out-of-towners know that? Maybe do with Arlington Expwy. what they did with 9a/295. Those are only a few of the visions I have.