Tampa project seeks to re-imagine downtown

[I-275westcoastfl]

The whole argument about the streets being too wide and one way streets isn't valid and is ridiculous to think that narrowing the streets would change anything! I was in Europe recently and people seem to have no problem crossing six lanes of traffic plus two light rail tracks in the center! Are Americans that lazy that its too much for them? But wait even in NYC there are one way streets that are 4 lanes plus parking lanes, guess what they speed down the streets too when they can. We need urban development downtown!! At this point downtown Tampa is no better than a suburban office park just with big towers. There is a condo tower here and there, then a cluster of office buildings and dead everywhere in between. Fix that and you'll have people on the sidewalks, guaranteed!

[koopalicious]

It's not about laziness. It's about having a safe, comfortable, attractive, and ultimately more accommodating place for pedestrians. For as much as quality of life is mentioned here, very few people seem interested in improving it...

[Jasonhouse]

Originally Posted by smiley

The real problem is that the city wastes money on that but won't insist that the buildings be built in an urban way - so what is the point?

Exactly. The Zack St project is nothing but window dressing imo.

[jonknee]

Originally Posted by I-275westcoastfl

The whole argument about the streets being too wide and one way streets isn't valid and is ridiculous to think that narrowing the streets would change anything! I was in Europe recently and people seem to have no problem crossing six lanes of traffic plus two light rail tracks in the center! Are Americans that lazy that its too much for them? But wait even in NYC there are one way streets that are 4 lanes plus parking lanes, guess what they speed down the streets too when they can. We need urban development downtown!! At this point downtown Tampa is no better than a suburban office park just with big towers. There is a condo tower here and there, then a cluster of office buildings and dead everywhere in between. Fix that and you'll have people on the sidewalks, guaranteed!

It's also much cheaper to own and operate a car here than in Europe. Everything from the initial price of the car, to gas to parking is dramatically cheaper here. If we pulled a London and you had to pay $15 to enter the Tampa CBD you would see a lot more people walking around too.

[smiley]

You wouldn't see anyone because no one will pay $15/day to come to downtown Tampa. There are other choices. And even with those choices and without those fees, there are real urban areas around, just not around here.

[ATampaArnold]

Well if you ever tried to go up and down zack with all the people during lunch you would realize the sidewalk was not wide enough. The tables left no room for pedestrians. I agree Franklin is more important but Zach is the main walking path to Curtis hixon.

[bueller]

food for thought
copy of power point presentation
(with updated photos)


https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resi...4D96A861B1!150

[Del Mayberry]

Originally Posted by bueller

food for thought
copy of power point presentation



https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resi...FQR1a5UHZbdEh0

Looks more current than 04

[Jasonhouse]

My favs are pages 27, 34 and 43. lol

I also like what's mentioned on 14 and 17, among a few others.

[TampaMike]

Originally Posted by Del Mayberry

Looks more current than 04

Well, these are common sense ideas that will still make sense and be relevant 10 years from now. And again, it's much of what we have have discussed and brought up on here over and over again. Lets actually see if the city acts on what is suggested. But then remember, this cost money....

Originally Posted by Jasonhouse

My favs are pages 27, 34 and 43. lol

I also like what's mentioned on 14 and 17, among a few others.

Haha they sound just like us with some of their comments.

[DShenise]

They are pretty decent ideas, however the stumbling block will always be money. By and large, unless its a stadium, the bay area won't spend on anything in the public sphere. Things are repeatedly done on the cheap, and if a grand design is developed (the first Tampa Museum of Art redesign or the new Pier), it is assumed it can be built for radically less than the actual cost.

I'd be happy if they could get their sidewalks in order (35 & 35), citywide, before they start on the glamour items. Having one standard of livability and attractiveness for HP and Palma Ceia, and a totally different downscale standard for every other residential area only makes 3/4 of the city perpetually feel left out.

[Jasonhouse]

Dang it, I think the link is dead?

[bueller]

new link

http://sdrv.ms/OVhEj9

[kmthurman]

Originally Posted by bueller

new link

http://sdrv.ms/OVhEj9

This is great.

Here's a link to the the points about sidewalks are common sense and made it into the Invision ideas presented:

http://www.tampagov.net/dept_plannin...n_workshop.pdf

See the complete streets section. As may have pointed out these aren't brand new ideas - we need zoning and ordinance changes the codify these ideas. The end of the master plan process is supposed to create that.

[koopalicious]

Speaking of complete streets, it would be nice to have safe bike lanes as well. I know those are just preliminary ideas in that presentation, but it shows the same type of seldom-used bike lanes and sharrows that we already have. I think it would be better - and safer - to have colored pavement and some sort of divider. That would allow cyclists to safely get off of the sidewalk, which improves the pedestrian experience also.

Here's an example of a nice product by a Barcelona-based company that would provide added safety to cyclists and not be cost-prohibitive:

http://www.zicla.com/public/docs/traf_zebra_web.pdf (PDF in Spanish)

[Del Mayberry]

The Whiting St. plan looks great but too good to be true.

[TampaMike]

Don't know if this is much of an improvement, but the city will be restructuring Palm Ave. between North Blvd. and Highland Ave from 4 lanes to 2 lanes and using the two former lanes as on-street parking next week.

I've been done there both during day and night time, I've never seen it that busy as a way of testing to see if converting it to two lanes will make any true different. Do people even park up there anyways?

Who knows, lets see what comes from this. The Invision site now has statuses up for many of the ideas posted on the site. From "Close" to "Implemented". Implemented being ideas like "Finish the Floridan Hotel". I'm kind of interested on the Silicon South idea posted because that has "Being Implemented" posted next to it. I don't know what they mean by that,but lets wait and see.

[kmthurman]

Originally Posted by TampaMike

Don't know if this is much of an improvement, but the city will be restructuring Palm Ave. between North Blvd. and Highland Ave from 4 lanes to 2 lanes and using the two former lanes as on-street parking next week.

Of course no one is parking there -- that is the heights development and it's surrounded by vacant lots and fences, right?

[TampaMike]

Originally Posted by kmthurman

Of course no one is parking there -- that is the heights development and it's surrounded by vacant lots and fences, right?

Yeah. You pretty much have a huge vacant lot to the south, large vacant lot to the north, and then a couple random buildings on both sides on the east end of Palm. I would at least support them doing this all the way from North Blvd. to Florida Ave. Goes further down and lines up with some businesses.

[koopalicious]

I think this is part of the Complete Streets project for this section of Palm. It should eventually reach Nebraska.