The RUDC and its partners from the
+ Research School of Architecture + Community Design University of South Florida just completed the Active City Conference held in Tampa, Florida last Thursday and Friday.
The conference dealt with the question how a city that is active by design can be a healthier place with happier residents.
The conference offered tours that showed active transportation (bicycle, streetcars and water) that presented Tampa in a new light as a rapidly growing city that has shed its sprawl policies of old in favor of dense mixed use development, progressive transportation policies and a more attractive downtown. Held in Tampa's waterfront Convention Center that is a model of urban integration the keynote and workshop presentations provided a host of best practice examples from around the nation.
Examples included:
- How the Housing Authority redeveloped a failing housing project with all kinds of new living forms including money making market rate elements that will support the affordable housing
- How the regional HART transit agency runs their own unrestricted demand based Paratransit HyperLINK service which provides ride sharing to the nearest transit stops.
- How Tampa introduced a unique "Smar"t bike bike share allowing interrupted rides and bike parking anywhere
- How walking can be fun on the carefully executed Riverwalk in Tampa with its many parklets and activity nodes, artwork and excellent detailing
- How a developers sees money in the the world's first "Well District" in Tampa (so far only a blueprint)
- How Cleveland Health institutions redevelop as integral parts of their communities. (MetroHealth).
- How Nashville gets re-invented by regional planning done grass-roots by a non profit: (Nashville Civic Design Center).
- How a Night Market transform,s a disinvested Milwaukee community
- How automated vehicles may affect transit oriented development
There were many other examples that maybe other participants can fill in via comments.
Taryn Sabia, a member of RUDC's Advisory Group and her Florida Center for Community Design did a great job of putting this engaging conference together and being at all places at once to ensure it could unfold. The RUDC is encouraged to set eyes on another urban design and planning conference in 2018.
I encourage participants to add comments, links and exhibits on this site!
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Nikolaus Philipsen FAIA
Archplan Inc. Philipsen Architects
Baltimore MD
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