Advocating for a Sustainable Jacksonville

In 2006, fed up and frustrated by the city's direction, Metro Jacksonville was launched by six residents determined to make a difference.

However, instead of relying on the power of a big financial budget or political backing, we'd use the interactivity of community journalism, the internet, social media and good old fashioned "elbow grease" to become an influential advocate for a sustainable Jacksonville.

Seven years after being labeled a mischievous band of misfits by threatened long time movers and shakers, Metro Jacksonville is now recognized as a successful grass roots change agent.





However, what makes us different from many organizations pushing for sustainable growth and revitalization is our focus on the things most tend to overlook.

Instead of determining specific uses for specific sites, specific people, specific economic classes and specific races, we strive to advocate and facilitate market rate growth and opportunity through individual human creativity and innovation.

As a result, true organic growth can naturally thrive in environments that many have written off as outdated, blighted and economically worthless.





In addition to getting our city's health and financial house in order, we also believe the forgotten urban core is the key to the city's economic future.

Why? Because nationwide, there are 86 million millennials that will soon drive market decisions for decades to come.

Unlike previous generations, statistics suggest most make locational decisions based on quality of life, drive less each year and 80% claim to have a desire to live in vibrant central cities.

Thus, Jacksonville's core (not just downtown) must become a "place" instead of a "space".





Citizens don't always need money and support at city hall to make a change. Sometimes, all we need is a chance to display our individual talents.  

With this in mind, Metro Jacksonville practices the art of Tactical Urbanism to advocate for a sustainable future.

This basically means implementing affordable and immediate small-scale short term actions to facilitate long term change.

Three issues we believe are critical to the city's sustainability where these methods have and continue to be applied are Historic Preservation, Economic Development and Mobility.





During the last half century, we've turned our back on the unique urban core built after the Great Fire of 1901 that our predecessors left for us.  

One by one, special districts such as Riverside Row, Railroad Row, and LaVilla's Ashley Street, places that we travel as tourist to other communities to visit, have disappeared from our landscape.

In recent years, the wrecking ball began to center in on Springfield. As a response, several Metro Jacksonville discussion board members organized Preservation Save Our Springfield in 2010.