My View: It’s time to enhance our sense of place
Tallahassee Democrat –By Jay Revell
June 13, 2010
“It is place, permanent position in both the social and topographical sense, that gives us our identity.” — J.B. Jackson, influential writer and artist in landscape design
Over the last year, I have learned a great deal about the significance of place when it comes to deciding where to live. As one of the 2009-10 Knight Creative Communities Institute (KCCI) community catalysts, I have seen many studies that highlight the importance of sense of place in a college student’s decision on where to locate after graduation. As a recent graduate of Florida State University, I can easily tell you why I chose Tallahassee as my home.
I chose Tallahassee because of its enormous potential. As a student at Florida State, I familiarized myself with the wonderful places that make Tallahassee unique. In doing so, I not only saw these great places for what they are, but could see what they can and will be.
Particular areas in the heart of Tallahassee have grown considerably in recent years. From new high-rise buildings downtown to trendy restaurants in Midtown to recent construction on Gaines Street and Cascades Park, Tallahassee is moving in a bold new direction and is poised to continue that trend. I am a big proponent of public investment when it complements the actions of the private sector. Local leadership can assist by providing enhancements through capital improvement projects to areas that have experienced organic economic growth.
We as citizens must realize that it is the investments we make now that will position us for growth once this recession has subsided. It is with that spirit that a very dedicated group of volunteers decided to pursue certain improvements in designated target districts as a part of the Identify Tallahassee Initiative. Our first target district is the up-and-coming Midtown district.
Midtown is the perfect example of an area that has benefited from organic economic development as its desirability has increased. There have been few to no government incentives or projects to create a place there; it just happened with bold investment and vision from the private sector. However, as the district continues to grow, there are many important issues that must be addressed.
Whether you are a business owner, resident or frequent visitor to Midtown, it is easy to see that there are mounting issues such as transportation and parking, connectivity and walkablity. Now is the time to make the necessary investments to prepare our districts for smart and desirable growth. Midtown is the perfect place to start.
Over the past 10 weeks, Identify Tallahassee, with the help of students from the Florida A&M School of Architecture, has engaged in a Character District Study of the heart of Midtown. The students investigated the underlying infrastructure of Midtown to understand the opportunities and constraints influencing the future prosperity of the district. The study took into consideration input received from the Midtown Merchants Association as well as the surrounding neighborhood associations. All of these vested partners were asked to identify the everyday problems as well as the things they love about Midtown.Using the recommendations and observations from this study, Identify Tallahassee volunteers plan to formalize a list of needs and desires to send to the City Commission for action. This year, the commission has listed “working with private and public interests and cultural organizations to create a sense of place in distinct sectors of the community” as well as “fostering an environment of connectivity and safe options for transportation” as two of its four priorities. Midtown sits at the intersection of these priorities. As we continue working toward making these enhancements a reality, we hope that you and your neighbors will join us and ask our local leaders for their support in furthering Tallahassee’s sense of place.
About the author: Jay Revell is aide to Leon County Commissioner John Dailey. He is also a 2009-10 community catalyst for the Knight Creative Communities Institute, an organization dedicated to enhancing Tallahassee’s economy and developing a stronger sense of place for residents. For more information, go to http://kccitallahassee.com or contact Revell at jdrevell87@yahoo.com.