Hemming Plaza to be Destroyed?

[fsquid]

Let me get this straight. People are using the park.  They're  just not the right people?

seems like it

[Doctor_K]

Let me get this straight. People are using the park.  They're  just not the right people?

Yep, and I agree with the sentiment.

And who, in your mind, are the "right" people to use this space?

[MEGATRON]

Let me get this straight. People are using the park.  They're  just not the right people?

Yep, and I agree with the sentiment.

And who, in your mind, are the "right" people to use this space?

Anyone but homeless people.

[thelakelander]

How do we know that everyone using the park is homeless?

[MEGATRON]

How do we know that everyone using the park is homeless?

Not everyone but, when I visit, the majority certainly appear to be homeless.  Would you disagree?

[Captain Zissou]

How do we know that everyone using the park is homeless?

Not everyone but, when I visit, the majority certainly appear to be homeless.  Would you disagree?

I am often told that I 'appear to be homeless', but it's actually quite the contrary.  I am gainfully employed and I live in Avondale, but I have an affinity for old jeans and hoodies and a great distaste for combing my hair.  I hope you and your enforcers will let me enter the park.  I swear I won't do anything insidious like play a game of Go Fish.

[Josh]

Let me get this straight. People are using the park.  They're  just not the right people?

Yep, and I agree with the sentiment.

And who, in your mind, are the "right" people to use this space?

According to Councilman Redman, the "right" people are those that are not "intimidating." Pretty sad.

[thelakelander]

How do we know that everyone using the park is homeless?

Not everyone but, when I visit, the majority certainly appear to be homeless.  Would you disagree?

I don't know.  To be honest, when I pass through, I rarely stare at anyone long enough or ask them if they are homeless or not.  Unless, some one is there with a buggy and all of their belongings, I think it's pretty difficult to come to that conclusion. Nevertheless, its a public park.  Are we now saying you must be employed and own a house to be able to visit a public park?

[JeffreyS]

Where is the Jacksonville historical society on this?  You know how get how city leaders could make a bad decision on transit based on transits price and public ignorance on the subject.  I do not get how some of our leaders can be so dumb to as to think if you destroy it they will come(and only the people we don't want will go).

[MEGATRON]

How do we know that everyone using the park is homeless?

Not everyone but, when I visit, the majority certainly appear to be homeless.  Would you disagree?

I don't know.  To be honest, when I pass through, I rarely stare at anyone long enough or ask them if they are homeless or not.  Unless, some one is there with a buggy and all of their belongings, I think it's pretty difficult to come to that conclusion. Nevertheless, its a public park.  Are we now saying you must be employed and own a house to be able to visit a public park?

No, I'm not saying that at all.  However, I have long said that downtown Jacksonville will only become what we all want it to become once the homeless problem is solved.  I don't pretend to have that answer but its the absolute truth and I hate that people in Jacksonville ignore that as a major hindrance to downtown development (at least its not given the proper weight IMO).

[thelakelander]

Count me in as a part of the crowd that believes downtown's failures have little to nothing to do with the homeless.  It's just much easier to pick on the lowest common denominator than to address the larger elephant in the room.  Downtown's problem is we've ripped apart its economic structure.  It will continue to falter until we strengthen its connectivity with the surrounding neighborhoods, facilitate natural market rate revitalization and implement pedestrian scale strategies that encourage walkability.  Considering that homeless are also people, strategies that de-humanify public spaces only result in completely empty public spaces.

However, fixing Hemming isn't complicated.  It originally worked because it had uses that opened up and integrated with it on all four sides.  Now we've gone from grand hotels and department stores to a public offices with limited operating hours and access points.  We've also replaced it, in terms of programming, with the Landing's courtyard.  Nevertheless, visit the park during Art Walk or an event like Go Skate Day.  The homeless, benches, and mean old chess gangsters aren't a problem then.

Thus, fixing a space like Hemming, doesn't mean removing amenities in an effort to run off people some don't like. You simply have to add things that attract a diverse amount of users on an around-the-clock basis.  That means programming, not only the park itself but better utilizing the spaces surrounding it. San Diego's Gaslamp District is a great example.  Their homeless are still there (resolving homelessness isn't going to occur only at the local level) but there's so many people on those streets, you rarely notice them. 

[sheclown]

Count me in as a part of the crowd that believes downtown's failures have little to nothing to do with the homeless.  It's just much easier to pick on the lowest common denominator than to address the larger elephant in the room.  Downtown's problem is we've ripped apart its economic structure.  It will continue to falter until we strengthen its connectivity with the surrounding neighborhoods, facilitate natural market rate revitalization and implement pedestrian scale strategies that encourage walkability.  Considering that homeless are also people, strategies that de-humanify public spaces only result in completely empty public spaces.

However, fixing Hemming isn't complicated.  It originally worked because it had uses that opened up and integrated with it on all four sides.  Now we've gone from grand hotels and department stores to a public offices with limited operating hours and access points.  We've also replaced it, in terms of programming, with the Landing's courtyard.  Nevertheless, visit the park during Art Walk or an event like Go Skate Day.  The homeless, benches, and mean old chess gangsters aren't a problem then.

Thus, fixing a space like Hemming, doesn't mean removing amenities in an effort to run off people some don't like. You simply have to add things that attract a diverse amount of users on an around-the-clock basis.  That means programming, not only the park itself but better utilizing the spaces surrounding it. San Diego's Gaslamp District is a great example.  Their homeless are still there (resolving homelessness isn't going to occur only at the local level) but there's so many people on those streets, you rarely notice them. 

clapping my hands wildly in response.

[urbaknight]

According to the video in the article, there are lots of different types of people in the park. I saw families, downtown employees, some homeless, passers by etc. The place seemed vibrant to me. I myself pass through almost everyday. However I'm pretty near sighted, so I don't look at anyone enough to see who they are. They might think I'm some kind of weirdo or something if I'm caught staring.

Hey didn't they do a survey a few months ago? Yeah they did. I remember because I took part. And didn't like 90% say they disagree with what they're trying to do? Has democracy failed in Jacksonville?

[thelakelander]

It appears democracy has or is failing.

[johnny_simpatico]

Thanks for a great analysis. 

Downtown continues to head in the wrong direction by building MORE massive parking facilities near the river and by leveling buildings that contributed to the landscape (even if they were not occupied).  The trend is to develop a scale and environment favorable to automobiles and unappealing to pedestrians. Large barriers exist between downtown and every adjoining neighborhood.  The river of course is a large natural barrier, but the virtual expressway represented by the one-way State and Union Streets could be made more human.  (Why on earth would they locate the main bus transfer station in that hideous place?)

Count me in as a part of the crowd that believes downtown's failures have little to nothing to do with the homeless.  It's just much easier to pick on the lowest common denominator than to address the larger elephant in the room.  Downtown's problem is we've ripped apart its economic structure.  It will continue to falter until we strengthen its connectivity with the surrounding neighborhoods, facilitate natural market rate revitalization and implement pedestrian scale strategies that encourage walkability.  Considering that homeless are also people, strategies that de-humanify public spaces only result in completely empty public spaces.

However, fixing Hemming isn't complicated.  It originally worked because it had uses that opened up and integrated with it on all four sides.  Now we've gone from grand hotels and department stores to a public offices with limited operating hours and access points.  We've also replaced it, in terms of programming, with the Landing's courtyard.  Nevertheless, visit the park during Art Walk or an event like Go Skate Day.  The homeless, benches, and mean old chess gangsters aren't a problem then.

Thus, fixing a space like Hemming, doesn't mean removing amenities in an effort to run off people some don't like. You simply have to add things that attract a diverse amount of users on an around-the-clock basis.  That means programming, not only the park itself but better utilizing the spaces surrounding it. San Diego's Gaslamp District is a great example.  Their homeless are still there (resolving homelessness isn't going to occur only at the local level) but there's so many people on those streets, you rarely notice them. 

clapping my hands wildly in response.
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