For months,  we've stressed the importance of "urban connectivity", clustering complementing uses, maintaining and integrating with existing building fabric.  Instead of continuing to preach the positives of such ideas, locally, lets see what happens when these concepts are applied in a city that has no where near the urban fabric, history or premier physical location, as Jacksonville...  Orlando.

The Jacksonville Landing opened its doors to the world with much fanfare in 1987.  Over the following 20 years the 125,000sf complex would see several national tenants, like the Banana Republic and The Sharper Image flee to greener pastures, partially due to the city’s negligence in providing the required parking it promised two decades earlier.

Things changed for the better once Toney Sleiman took over in 2003, and its future appears to be a bright one, with the parking issue finally being resolved.  Nevertheless, when it comes to the subject of urban connectivity, there are a few things Sleiman can do… even if the city never sells the land underneath the complex.

Could Laura Street become the home of an energetic urban environment similar to Denver's 16th Street Mall, Tampa's Ybor City, Cleveland's East 4th Street and Miami Beach's Lincoln Road?  Today Metro Jacksonville gives an update to the status of the Lighting Laura Street plan, as well as several projects springing up along the Northbank's premier urban corridor.

The modern college campus is changing.  As available space decreases on urban campuses, schools are recognizing the wisdom of intergrating campuses into the surrounding urban envirnoment.  In recent years there has been a visible blurring of town and campus, as urban densities becomes a 21st century reality.  As a consequence, there is a growing demand for a more creative use of space.  Locally, Jacksonville may not have a major urban university in it's core, but it does have a few places of higher learning, including one sitting in the heart of downtown, forming a major part of the barrier that separates downtown from Springfield... Florida Community College at Jacksonville (FCCJ).

The Red River is the picturesque setting for Bossier City's unique shopping and entertainment destination, The Louisiana Boardwalk. Across the Red River from downtown Shreveport, the project's first phase opened in spectacular fashion in November 2003, with the state's first Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World. The remainder of the Louisiana Boardwalk opened in May 2005, joining the vibrant casino district nestled along the majestic riverfront for nearly a half-mile. Louisiana Boardwalk is the first lifestyle center in the state of Louisiana to offer outlet shopping, an entertainment district and riverfront dining.

The Strip District - it sounds like a red light district but it is really a region of Pittsburgh, PA known for its wholesalers, restaurants and funky shops. The Strip is a favorite weekend destination for Pittsburghers and is a must-see for out-of-town visitors.

Traditionally, the Strip District -- a flat strip of land on the south shore of the Allegheny River, just east of Downtown -- was filled with warehouses and small factories. The restaurants were there primarily to service the Strip's workers. It has only been in the past 20 years or so that retail shops, wholesalers with retail front ends, restaurants and dance clubs have opened.

The Strip is not for the faint of heart. It’s not the product of an oh-so-neat and tidy master plan. The Strip has weathered hard times and boom periods, evolving to meet the changing marketplace in a rugged and frequently chaotic fashion. It is a place where dreams are made and broken.

Once a major warehouse district and the original site of the city, Bricktown is a growing entertainment district in downtown Oklahoma City. After a successful visioning effort created a navigable canal to attract tourists, Bricktown has blossomed into one of the most visited destinations in the state of Oklahoma, with over 4 million visitors in 2005. Today, the district is home to AT&T Bricktown Ballpark, numerous bars and dance clubs, restaurants, hotels, live music venues, retail featuring a Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, and a Harkins Movie Theater.

Bricktown is a good example of taking a decayed section of the inner city and bringing it back to life as a center of local culture and vibrancy. By promoting its history, along with carefully planning development in a fashion that makes individual projects complement their surroundings, Bricktown has become an energetic district that not only attracts tourists on a daily basis, but also local residents as well.