So work has been going well. I had some car problems last week but now everything is good and the car is driving better than ever.
With October already here I've been looking to the future a lot lately. Right now I am at my dream job. Every day I realize that almost everything I have ever wanted I have. While that feeling is one of amazement and pure joy there is also a nagging 'now what' that keeps tugging at my thoughts. My teaching contract expires in December and as of right now I have absolutely no idea where the future is taking me.
I've been toying around with the idea of going back to school. I am placing my hope that the economy rebounds sooner than later, but I did that same move in 2008 and ended up in a dead end job at a bankrupt company. That move is what caused me to realize it was time to get my M.A. So the same move again has me worried.
All in all though I am much more optimistic about the local economy than many other people seem to be. Orlando is building itself up to be able to weather these economic storms much stronger than it did before and the next year will be one of massive job creation in the region. With the Lake Nona Medical City finally coming online and the pre-recession hotel occupancy already back I am sure that 2012 will be a year of steady growth for the City Beautiful.
My concern though stems from finding where I fit into all this. I love Orlando. I use love only because there isn't a stronger word than that to describe my infatuation with this region. Some people find it odd that I am actually a fanboy of a city. But why not? There are plenty of trekkies, star wars has the 501st Legion, and this weeks Apple news only shows the obsession that many people have with this company. So if people can be fanboys of corporations and movies why not of cities?
Of course this lends itself to some difficulties in life. When one is obsessed with a city how does one look for career opportunities that are not within that region? As of right now the city I love seems to be giving not as much love back and that means even though I love it I may have to leave it.
Now one thing about obsessions though is that when someone has one they quickly become an expert on that topic. Just as a trekkie could be able to tell you all the planets visited in the original series I too am able to quickly reference numerous projects around the Central Florida region. This knowledge lends itself to a certain depth of understanding that I struggle to find in many others. And those that I do find it in seem to be as optimistic about Orlando as I am. Now this may be all of us denying the realities of the economy or may be that we truly see something deeper, something more powerful than what shows up on the radar of economist and politicians.
I don't know what the future holds but I am hopeful that in the end my optimistic, albeit possibly childish, beliefs in Orlando economic rebound beyond that of what any economist would openly discuss lends itself to allowing me to fall more deeply in love with this beautiful city, the City Beautiful.
Showing posts with label improvements. Show all posts
Showing posts with label improvements. Show all posts
Friday, October 7, 2011
Thursday, September 11, 2008
5 Ways:: To Improve Tampa
#5 Elevated crosswalks across busy roads (Dale Mabry, Kennedy, Adamo, Busch, Fowler)
It’s a well known fact that none of Tampa was ever really designed for pedestrian traffic. Lately though more bikes are hitting the streets, more people are walking, and in return traffic has been negatively affected. Just today I almost hit a pedestrian who was in a crosswalk, when the light turned he began to run to cross the street, running directly in front of my car just as I placed my foot on the gas. Many of the larger streets in town have crosswalks that are nearly impossible to cross them in the time allotted.
The best way to fix this is underground crossings as are found in many larger cities, but with Tampa being built on sand and beside the bay this would be a major flood hazard. Instead Tampa needs elevated crosswalks on major streets. I have seen in some cities where these elevated crosswalks had the actual intersection lights connected to them. This would be great in the hurricane prone areas such as Tampa.
These crosswalks could also be placed near but not directly at intersections, then have built at the bottom or beside them bus stops. There are many major bus stops in Tampa requiring the rider to cross dangerous and busy streets. By linking these crosswalks and the bus stops there would be in essence a pedestrian station that would have bus stops, wide sidewalks, and crosswalks creating a safe and easy to find alternative to the current crosswalks and bus stops.
These crosswalks could be very decorative, possibly even designed by famous architects, creating a new uniting art project throughout the city. By widening the sidewalks around these crosswalks and then having these large elevated crosswalks more people may choose to ride bikes to work thus elevating congestion on Tampa infamously crowded streets.
Streets that would be perfect for these crosswalks should include Adamo near IKEA, Dale Mabry near I-275, Kennedy near Westshore Plaza, Hillsborough near NetP@rk, 50th near NetP@rk, MLK linking Al Lopez park and the parking lot of Raymond James Stadium, 301 at the Fairgrounds entrance, to name a few.
If the city committed to adding even just 2 per year within a short time period the entire city would be much more pedestrian friendly. The crosswalks could have ATMs, vending machines, and newspaper stands built into their design. The city could then rent these newspaper and ATM spaces and get money from the vending machines helping to pay for the crosswalks. The city could also help pay for these crosswalks by having corporate sponsorship of them. Each crosswalk would have a name on it (I.E. _(Insert name)_’s Crosswalk over _(insert name of street)_ Street, does that make sense). These sponsorships could be a one time sponsorship or a renewing one every so many years similar to stadiums. They could also place ads on the pedestrian side of the crosswalks like what you see at bus stops. Both of these income generating ideas would help pay for the crosswalks and then have futures monies be placed in a pedestrian accessibility improvement fund that would help widen sidewalks, add bike paths, and create new pedestrian zones.
By elevating these crosswalks it would also be easier to link them to a elevated light rail system later on, if they were designed properly. With the linking of the light rail, the bus stops, and the wider pedestrian friendly sidewalks these crosswalks would become miniature transit hubs that would link neighborhood and city-wide transit options. By designing these crosswalks properly and by properly using the monies from them these simple crosswalks could ultimately help transform Tampa into the pedestrian city that is expected of it in the 21st Century.
#4 Better historic theme to the districts within Tampa (decorative lighting, building design codes, street signs, community festivals (like in Paris)
Tampa has so many unique and distinct districts within the city. Ybor City, Gary City, SoHo, NoHo, Hyde Park, Westshore, Seminole Heights, Davis Islands, Channelside,
and Tampa Heights, just to name a few. The problem is that to the average person, even the average Tampa resident, these districts having no lines of distinction. The districts all seem to look the same. Sure SoHo is known for its bistros, Channelside for its port and condos, Ybor for its cigars and night life, and Davis Island for its small town charm in the middle of the city but over all one could drive from one end of the city to the other without ever noticing the historical districts that make up Tampa.
I would love to see each of these communities start to take pride in its district. Some have already, such as the Gaybor Village area in West Ybor and the merchants of SoHo and NoHo. The businesses are already starting to advertise and market their districts. What needs to now happen is the city embracing these districts by creating original logos for each of them (such as they did in Ybor). This logo needs to be shown on signs at the entrance of each district, on all street signs in each district and on community events in each district.
Each district needs to have its own style and color of street signs. Even the poles holding the signs could change from district to district. The street lights should also change from district to district. Davis Islands should use a more traditional high class light pole, whereas SoHo could have a modern stainless metal light pole.
Building design code should also reflect each district as long as there is an appeal process so that unique buildings could come to each district. Ybor should require more brick, SoHo should have height requirements, and Seminole Heights should require more traditional Florida architecture.(This is already in place in some districts, but is non-exsistant in others.) With the appeal process each community could vote to have modern spins on these traditional styles, creating a collage of old and new throughout each district.
Each district should then create a district management committee made up of local home and business owners, who would answer to the City commissioners (a similar program is already in place within the city). These committees would then be in charge of planning and hosting quarterly events within their district. Paris has similar requirements within its districts, requiring each to host weekly farmers markets, it seems to be very successful.
These quarterly events would give each district unique events to call its own and help create a vibrant city since there would be events somewhere in the city on almost any weekend. Art shows, bike festivals, street parties would all fill Tampa’s event calendar. With the competition between districts each would be forced to find unique events for its district and would be forced to continually improve these events.
I would prefer to have a transit system that has local routes through each district with express buses or light rail that links each district. Each district would have a transit representative that would help plan a district wide transit plan that would then be linked into the Tampa Bay Area Rapid Transit Plan. By having a district focused transit plan the ride length and arrival times for bus stops would be improved. Districts that so wish could raise funds to have unique transit options, such as trolleys, bus only lanes, and horse drawn trolleys to name a few unique options. Transit tickets would then be based on how many districts you wish to visit. I have seen this style of transit pricing and layout in other major US and international cities. Its easy to use and makes the most cost effective sense.
Each district would also be required to create a partnership such as the one found downtown. Guides would be found in each district that help clean, give directions, assist with motorist issues, and any other district needs.
#3 Better drainage (more retention ponds, more pumps, more green roofs, etc)
One of, if not the, biggest issue in Tampa is drainage. One would think a city built with water throughout wouldn’t have an issue with drainage but Tampa has done a decent job of stopping runoff water from getting into the Bay and into the Hillsborough River. So what happens is roads flood instead. Since most of the area where the flooding accrues is in historic built up areas it’s a hard fix than just adding deeper ditches.
A first step would be to create amendments for this issue to stop growing. One such amendment would be to mandate green roofs for commercial buildings within the city. Green roofs (roofs with small plants growing on them) help cool the buildings, help clean the air and help stop runoff water since the plants absorb a large amount of the rain water. This mandate alone would help the future of Tampa!
Unfortunately the damage has already been done and the streets flood now. So on top of the future building code there needs to be projects designed to offset the current flooding.
One bold (ever noticed how this word usually just means crazy) idea I have is to take less used roads within the downtown and Ybor area and close them, even if just for one block. These closed streets could then be dug up and made into in-town retention ponds. There are ways to cover retention ponds with grass, this would create nice downtown and Ybor city parks. Tampa could also make them into actual retention ponds. Add a nice sidewalk or boardwalk around it, a fountain in the middle, some cattails on the sides and Tampa would have some of the most unique and welcoming retention ponds of any city.
I know this sounds insane but it’s actually a semi-easy and good looking alternative to the flooded streets Tampa currently deals with.
#2 Keep things open (visitors want to see the churches, graveyards, museums, and old buildings)
I have tried multiple times to visit downtown Tampa attractions such as the cathedrals, the police museum, taking a tour of the Tampa Theater. All have been locked and closed. If Tampa wants to attract more visitors, even local visitors, they need to work with these businesses to keep the downtown attractions open. Whenever I visit a new town one of the first places I visit is the local church cathedrals and museums. By having the ones in Tampa closed it gives an impression that Tampa isn’t open for business, that its downtown is closed. A partnership through the Tamp Downtown Partnership Guides and these attractions would work just fine. Have the TDP Guides stationed in the attractions, have them be the ones giving tours of the Tampa Theater and the local churches. I saw a similar program in place in Paris and in Heildburg, Germany. I, as a visitor, used both services and end up spending much longer in these cities than expected because of it. A program like this in Tampa would have the same outcome.
#1 More downtown pedestrian thoroughfares
Most larger cities have pedestrian thoroughfares throughout the city making it easy on foot traffic to maneuver the city. Tampa has a great pedestrian zone on Franklin Street and is currently creating another top notch one along the Hillsborough River. While both of these are great its not enough. The Franklin street pedestrian zone is open to cars in the evenings and on the weekends, one of the main times local visitors would be in downtown. The Riverwalk Pedestrian Zone looks great but there are major gaps in it, thus creating miniature pedestrian zones, some of which are only 50 feet long.
One of the biggest tourist areas of Tampa in its Channelside District. This is where the cruise ships dock and where the St. Pete Times Forum (the Lightnings home) is. The Florida Aquarium is right beside the cruise ship terminals and a growing shopping complex called Channelside is there also. It does have a nice trolley system linking it to Ybor City but there are no links between Channelside and the downtown area (also known as the Finical district). The Finance District is where the Children’s Museum, the Art Museum and the History Museum are all being built. Its also where the Photography Museum, the Police Museum, and the Tampa Theater are located. Most visitors want to see these attractions but have difficulty since the Trolley line ends at the St. Pete Forum and since there are few directional signs helping them find it.
Having a nice pedestrian thoroughfare the stretched from Ybor to Channelside to Franklin St and on to the RiverWalk would be the perfect answer. Along they could rent spaces for small kiosks and have free electric taxi carts (like the ones that are currently being used downtown). I’m sure the pedi-cabs would also love using this trail. In some places this thoroughfare would run along vehicular streets, in other places it may actually wind through current building ground floors creating covered alleys similar to the ones found in larger cities such as London. To have this new thoroughfare succeed it would take a commitment of both the local businesses and the city as a whole. Along the thoroughfare there could be small playgrounds, fountains, covered seating, historical markers, and information kiosks. Along the trail the city could place public restrooms, something almost non-existent in the current downtown area. Restroom kiosks like the ones found in Europe and now being used in NYC would work just fine.
This cross-town pedestrian trail would also improve the downtown parking issues. People would be able to park at the city garages near the new art museum and walk or catch the taxi carts to the St. Pete Forum, Channelside, or even their cruise.
Right now Tampa has many attractions to offer visitors and locals alike but all of these attractions are spread out throughout the city. A single pedestrian trail would link these attractions and create the visitor friendly downtown Tampa dreams of.
1 More Idea just for the fun of it
Tampa has one of the greatest zoos in the nation (it was recently ranked the best zoo for families in the nation!). The problem is that the Lowry Park Zoo is in the middle of a mostly residential area and is quite difficult to find even with the numerous directional signs pointing towards it. Near the zoo is the Hillsborough River where the zoo has a sightseeing boat ride. The zoo has a small trolley that runs between this boat ride and the zoo entrance itself.
Along this same river downtown are the new Art and Children’s museums and the by boat the Channelside district is around the corner from them. A visitor boat taxi that ran from Channelside to the Museums and then up the river to the zoo would help most downtown visitors maneuver the difficult streets between these attractions. It would also be another way for locals to get to downtown. This wouldn’t cost much since the city could use refurbished pontoon boats (the same boats currently used for the sightseeing tours).
It’s a well known fact that none of Tampa was ever really designed for pedestrian traffic. Lately though more bikes are hitting the streets, more people are walking, and in return traffic has been negatively affected. Just today I almost hit a pedestrian who was in a crosswalk, when the light turned he began to run to cross the street, running directly in front of my car just as I placed my foot on the gas. Many of the larger streets in town have crosswalks that are nearly impossible to cross them in the time allotted.
The best way to fix this is underground crossings as are found in many larger cities, but with Tampa being built on sand and beside the bay this would be a major flood hazard. Instead Tampa needs elevated crosswalks on major streets. I have seen in some cities where these elevated crosswalks had the actual intersection lights connected to them. This would be great in the hurricane prone areas such as Tampa.
These crosswalks could also be placed near but not directly at intersections, then have built at the bottom or beside them bus stops. There are many major bus stops in Tampa requiring the rider to cross dangerous and busy streets. By linking these crosswalks and the bus stops there would be in essence a pedestrian station that would have bus stops, wide sidewalks, and crosswalks creating a safe and easy to find alternative to the current crosswalks and bus stops.
These crosswalks could be very decorative, possibly even designed by famous architects, creating a new uniting art project throughout the city. By widening the sidewalks around these crosswalks and then having these large elevated crosswalks more people may choose to ride bikes to work thus elevating congestion on Tampa infamously crowded streets.
Streets that would be perfect for these crosswalks should include Adamo near IKEA, Dale Mabry near I-275, Kennedy near Westshore Plaza, Hillsborough near NetP@rk, 50th near NetP@rk, MLK linking Al Lopez park and the parking lot of Raymond James Stadium, 301 at the Fairgrounds entrance, to name a few.
If the city committed to adding even just 2 per year within a short time period the entire city would be much more pedestrian friendly. The crosswalks could have ATMs, vending machines, and newspaper stands built into their design. The city could then rent these newspaper and ATM spaces and get money from the vending machines helping to pay for the crosswalks. The city could also help pay for these crosswalks by having corporate sponsorship of them. Each crosswalk would have a name on it (I.E. _(Insert name)_’s Crosswalk over _(insert name of street)_ Street, does that make sense). These sponsorships could be a one time sponsorship or a renewing one every so many years similar to stadiums. They could also place ads on the pedestrian side of the crosswalks like what you see at bus stops. Both of these income generating ideas would help pay for the crosswalks and then have futures monies be placed in a pedestrian accessibility improvement fund that would help widen sidewalks, add bike paths, and create new pedestrian zones.
By elevating these crosswalks it would also be easier to link them to a elevated light rail system later on, if they were designed properly. With the linking of the light rail, the bus stops, and the wider pedestrian friendly sidewalks these crosswalks would become miniature transit hubs that would link neighborhood and city-wide transit options. By designing these crosswalks properly and by properly using the monies from them these simple crosswalks could ultimately help transform Tampa into the pedestrian city that is expected of it in the 21st Century.
#4 Better historic theme to the districts within Tampa (decorative lighting, building design codes, street signs, community festivals (like in Paris)
Tampa has so many unique and distinct districts within the city. Ybor City, Gary City, SoHo, NoHo, Hyde Park, Westshore, Seminole Heights, Davis Islands, Channelside,
and Tampa Heights, just to name a few. The problem is that to the average person, even the average Tampa resident, these districts having no lines of distinction. The districts all seem to look the same. Sure SoHo is known for its bistros, Channelside for its port and condos, Ybor for its cigars and night life, and Davis Island for its small town charm in the middle of the city but over all one could drive from one end of the city to the other without ever noticing the historical districts that make up Tampa.
I would love to see each of these communities start to take pride in its district. Some have already, such as the Gaybor Village area in West Ybor and the merchants of SoHo and NoHo. The businesses are already starting to advertise and market their districts. What needs to now happen is the city embracing these districts by creating original logos for each of them (such as they did in Ybor). This logo needs to be shown on signs at the entrance of each district, on all street signs in each district and on community events in each district.
Each district needs to have its own style and color of street signs. Even the poles holding the signs could change from district to district. The street lights should also change from district to district. Davis Islands should use a more traditional high class light pole, whereas SoHo could have a modern stainless metal light pole.
Building design code should also reflect each district as long as there is an appeal process so that unique buildings could come to each district. Ybor should require more brick, SoHo should have height requirements, and Seminole Heights should require more traditional Florida architecture.(This is already in place in some districts, but is non-exsistant in others.) With the appeal process each community could vote to have modern spins on these traditional styles, creating a collage of old and new throughout each district.
Each district should then create a district management committee made up of local home and business owners, who would answer to the City commissioners (a similar program is already in place within the city). These committees would then be in charge of planning and hosting quarterly events within their district. Paris has similar requirements within its districts, requiring each to host weekly farmers markets, it seems to be very successful.
These quarterly events would give each district unique events to call its own and help create a vibrant city since there would be events somewhere in the city on almost any weekend. Art shows, bike festivals, street parties would all fill Tampa’s event calendar. With the competition between districts each would be forced to find unique events for its district and would be forced to continually improve these events.
I would prefer to have a transit system that has local routes through each district with express buses or light rail that links each district. Each district would have a transit representative that would help plan a district wide transit plan that would then be linked into the Tampa Bay Area Rapid Transit Plan. By having a district focused transit plan the ride length and arrival times for bus stops would be improved. Districts that so wish could raise funds to have unique transit options, such as trolleys, bus only lanes, and horse drawn trolleys to name a few unique options. Transit tickets would then be based on how many districts you wish to visit. I have seen this style of transit pricing and layout in other major US and international cities. Its easy to use and makes the most cost effective sense.
Each district would also be required to create a partnership such as the one found downtown. Guides would be found in each district that help clean, give directions, assist with motorist issues, and any other district needs.
#3 Better drainage (more retention ponds, more pumps, more green roofs, etc)
One of, if not the, biggest issue in Tampa is drainage. One would think a city built with water throughout wouldn’t have an issue with drainage but Tampa has done a decent job of stopping runoff water from getting into the Bay and into the Hillsborough River. So what happens is roads flood instead. Since most of the area where the flooding accrues is in historic built up areas it’s a hard fix than just adding deeper ditches.
A first step would be to create amendments for this issue to stop growing. One such amendment would be to mandate green roofs for commercial buildings within the city. Green roofs (roofs with small plants growing on them) help cool the buildings, help clean the air and help stop runoff water since the plants absorb a large amount of the rain water. This mandate alone would help the future of Tampa!
Unfortunately the damage has already been done and the streets flood now. So on top of the future building code there needs to be projects designed to offset the current flooding.
One bold (ever noticed how this word usually just means crazy) idea I have is to take less used roads within the downtown and Ybor area and close them, even if just for one block. These closed streets could then be dug up and made into in-town retention ponds. There are ways to cover retention ponds with grass, this would create nice downtown and Ybor city parks. Tampa could also make them into actual retention ponds. Add a nice sidewalk or boardwalk around it, a fountain in the middle, some cattails on the sides and Tampa would have some of the most unique and welcoming retention ponds of any city.
I know this sounds insane but it’s actually a semi-easy and good looking alternative to the flooded streets Tampa currently deals with.
#2 Keep things open (visitors want to see the churches, graveyards, museums, and old buildings)
I have tried multiple times to visit downtown Tampa attractions such as the cathedrals, the police museum, taking a tour of the Tampa Theater. All have been locked and closed. If Tampa wants to attract more visitors, even local visitors, they need to work with these businesses to keep the downtown attractions open. Whenever I visit a new town one of the first places I visit is the local church cathedrals and museums. By having the ones in Tampa closed it gives an impression that Tampa isn’t open for business, that its downtown is closed. A partnership through the Tamp Downtown Partnership Guides and these attractions would work just fine. Have the TDP Guides stationed in the attractions, have them be the ones giving tours of the Tampa Theater and the local churches. I saw a similar program in place in Paris and in Heildburg, Germany. I, as a visitor, used both services and end up spending much longer in these cities than expected because of it. A program like this in Tampa would have the same outcome.
#1 More downtown pedestrian thoroughfares
Most larger cities have pedestrian thoroughfares throughout the city making it easy on foot traffic to maneuver the city. Tampa has a great pedestrian zone on Franklin Street and is currently creating another top notch one along the Hillsborough River. While both of these are great its not enough. The Franklin street pedestrian zone is open to cars in the evenings and on the weekends, one of the main times local visitors would be in downtown. The Riverwalk Pedestrian Zone looks great but there are major gaps in it, thus creating miniature pedestrian zones, some of which are only 50 feet long.
One of the biggest tourist areas of Tampa in its Channelside District. This is where the cruise ships dock and where the St. Pete Times Forum (the Lightnings home) is. The Florida Aquarium is right beside the cruise ship terminals and a growing shopping complex called Channelside is there also. It does have a nice trolley system linking it to Ybor City but there are no links between Channelside and the downtown area (also known as the Finical district). The Finance District is where the Children’s Museum, the Art Museum and the History Museum are all being built. Its also where the Photography Museum, the Police Museum, and the Tampa Theater are located. Most visitors want to see these attractions but have difficulty since the Trolley line ends at the St. Pete Forum and since there are few directional signs helping them find it.
Having a nice pedestrian thoroughfare the stretched from Ybor to Channelside to Franklin St and on to the RiverWalk would be the perfect answer. Along they could rent spaces for small kiosks and have free electric taxi carts (like the ones that are currently being used downtown). I’m sure the pedi-cabs would also love using this trail. In some places this thoroughfare would run along vehicular streets, in other places it may actually wind through current building ground floors creating covered alleys similar to the ones found in larger cities such as London. To have this new thoroughfare succeed it would take a commitment of both the local businesses and the city as a whole. Along the thoroughfare there could be small playgrounds, fountains, covered seating, historical markers, and information kiosks. Along the trail the city could place public restrooms, something almost non-existent in the current downtown area. Restroom kiosks like the ones found in Europe and now being used in NYC would work just fine.
This cross-town pedestrian trail would also improve the downtown parking issues. People would be able to park at the city garages near the new art museum and walk or catch the taxi carts to the St. Pete Forum, Channelside, or even their cruise.
Right now Tampa has many attractions to offer visitors and locals alike but all of these attractions are spread out throughout the city. A single pedestrian trail would link these attractions and create the visitor friendly downtown Tampa dreams of.
1 More Idea just for the fun of it
Tampa has one of the greatest zoos in the nation (it was recently ranked the best zoo for families in the nation!). The problem is that the Lowry Park Zoo is in the middle of a mostly residential area and is quite difficult to find even with the numerous directional signs pointing towards it. Near the zoo is the Hillsborough River where the zoo has a sightseeing boat ride. The zoo has a small trolley that runs between this boat ride and the zoo entrance itself.
Along this same river downtown are the new Art and Children’s museums and the by boat the Channelside district is around the corner from them. A visitor boat taxi that ran from Channelside to the Museums and then up the river to the zoo would help most downtown visitors maneuver the difficult streets between these attractions. It would also be another way for locals to get to downtown. This wouldn’t cost much since the city could use refurbished pontoon boats (the same boats currently used for the sightseeing tours).
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