Jax Isn't the Only One! 60 Years of Urban Change

[Metro Jacksonville]

Jax Isn't the Only One! 60 Years of Urban Change



Historically, Jacksonville is a great case study of how to kill a downtown, displace long-time residents, destroy established communities and historic building stock. However, 60 Years of Urban Change, a recent study by the University of Oklahoma Institute for Quality Communities, suggests we're not alone. Here's a brief glimpse of Jacksonville's transformation, along with a few peer cities.

Read More: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2015-jan-jax-isnt-the-only-one-60-years-of-urban-change

[Know Growth]

Consolidation was to be..... "Different"   Yea, right on!! Verdant green Westside Agricultural Nirvanna. My Father in Law is "Judge " Bill Durden,first General Counsel under,over and beyond Consolidation. The conversations were telling. Judge grasped everything....except a few tidbits went unanswerered.

And a 'difference' according to whom? Who were those Consolidation Crafters,Special Committees? (Not counting the 20's era effort,formal vote....)

Indeed,Jacksonville's only lack was no mention in Joel Garreau's "Edge City",Garrett Hardin treatise  and the Holy Bible.

We did manage mention in Carl Hiaasen's editorial treatise "Kick Ass"; Jacksonville's Millionth Mania. Possibly more to....well..... "grow".

Why not include the entire "First Coast Region:...."Where Miami Begins!!"

Trivia Question: How did Mayor Delaney,JEA accommodate regional "sprawl" "Beltway",Freedom Commerce Centre wetland fill (now That Will Be Great Aerial Photo Image.... )-these are impacts unseen even here. Go figure.

Too easy.

Onward!

[ChriswUfGator]

Consolidation has been a disaster from an urbanist's perspective

[Know Growth]

10/4

Hopes,aspirations for "Downtown"  Center Development Key Development Driver dashed by Duval County "Beltway", Oakleaf,Southside Business Parks  and many thousands of acres of Lands consigned to Development order.....who here even imagined tracking such?!, in concert with Adjacent Regional County Development drivers,which has included rather "Militant" anti 'Jacksonville' narrative. Down Town an assumed included.

Some would say current effects are different. We can have it all. Rivertown....and Down Town. Perhaps we simply must have it all,even if Rivertown et al dumped on "Us".

[Know Growth]

 

Art  Marshall,Father of Everglades Restoration,student of South Florida Urban spread,a big chunk of the Glades named in Art's honor,Art spearheaded major south Florida and statewide Land Use initiative- we can thank Art in part for Talbot,Guanna and Jennings State Forest.
Art retired to Putnam County- He often  noted  warning regards Jacksonville outlook.........

Art's favorite book was "River of Lakes";Bill Belleville

Not!!!!!   Giant Yawn

Art's favorite book,having witnessed firsthand south Florida landscape transformation first hand,thanks to then rather unusual opportunity to view the landscape from above,aeroplanes,this just after the War

"Man's Role In Changing The Face Of The Earth"

Volume 1 ISBN )-226-79604-3 (Volume 1 )

I have Art's original .

US Army Corps of Engineers flyover SW Duval County during pivotal "Beltway" events,process, illegal roadways discovery,aerial photography efforts will be classic material for future profile. Priceless.

Thank you Art! Who would have Known???

[jcjohnpaint]

Remarkable to see how much was lost when adding some of those large highways and exits into downtowns.  Looks like Cincinnati lost 1/4 of it's center city. 

[thelakelander]

Yeah, what happened to Cincinnati is ridiculous. I guess, at least Over-The-Rhine is still around.

[I-10east]

Great work. I've been saying that "Jax isn't the only one" concerning many detrimental issues in Jacksonville for a while now. Some people took that as me sugarcoating Jax when many times it was the exact opposite, other comparison cities' was being sugarcoated with ideal postcard pics etc. Lets continue to keep it 'one hundred' all the way around! 

[fieldafm]

I've been saying that "Jax isn't the only one" concerning many detrimental issues in Jacksonville for a while now.

That attitude of indifference has been what has held Jax back from correcting problems. If you had friends in high school that dropped out, would your answer to having bad grades be 'well, Sarah Dropout and Ken Truant is worse than me'?  Seems like a better solution would be to look inward and find motivation to do better.

[I-10east]

^^^I never been against addressing problems in Jax, but if you was to say a hypothetical 'You never see things like this happen anywhere other than Jax, only in Jax...' and the same things happen in many other major US cities, that's where you lose me. 

[David]

^ I see that completely. Especially the more I travel. There's a lot of similar problems across a lot of the medium sized cities, especially in the south, midwest.

Suburban sprawl, struggling downtowns, concerns over mass transit, or lack of.  Driving habits.

If anything we're remarkably average at times. Which I can see the discontent with.

[vicupstate]

The urban destruction was widespread across virtually all cities during the 60's, 70's and 80's and in some cases into the 90's.  However, whereas most cities stopped that negative situation and started rebuilding the urban fabric, JAX has yet to do so on a widespread scale. 

[I-10east]

^^^I don't know what constitutes as a 'negative situation' but to me that would mean tearing down buildings, not trying to revitalize etc, and I don't see any of that going on in downtown Jacksonville. We are trying to revitalize with various proposals, adding restaurants, reinvigorating Hemming Park, fixing up nearby Riverside etc. Now if you want this snap your fingers for an instantly fixed downtown, that's another story; These things take time and alot of money.   

[thelakelander]

Elena Flats is one building in danger of being torn down at the moment. Rumor is, demolishing the structure would clear up land for a new parking lot.