11.14.08 - SDAT Final Presentation and Reception – Friday 11.14.08

[Adam Fritz]

SDAT Final Presentation and Reception – Friday 11.14.08

Thanks to everyone who attended and making the final presentation and reception an exciting success. The presentation was both challenging and insightful as the SDAT team delivered their findings to members of our community. The team encouraged us by celebrating our accomplishments as a city such as form base codes, our comprehensive plan, strong neighborhood groups, active arts culture, and multiple bike trails. They also offered suggestions on how we can amplify the wonderful groups in our region by unifying us under one vision to connect Tampa. The team was very impressed with our city and how much interest and energy the city has within its borders. Please add you comment. We will continue this discussion on how we can work together to make our city a more livable place. Thank you to TIBA, our sponsors, and all the volunteers who made this year long effort a reality! Now its your turn ….SOUND OFF

[Grant Rimbey]

Many of the comments I made towards your previous email post were also picked up by the moderators at Friday's presentation, I would like to point out that something very important was demonstrated last night. Yes, it was important to hear the long list of things that Tampa needs to do, but the comments made by some of the audience reflects a fault in the PROCESS.

Yes, it is important for individuals and individual groups to be forging ahead, but where is the single collective regional Vision that holds all of the these groups together? It is obvious that this collective Vision would come from the grassroots, the citizens, and that charrettes to reach this Vision should be organized by the local government and county, it would be a public/private partnership. This Vision can NOT stop at the arbitrary city limits of Tampa or the river south of the dam or in the neighborhoods south of Kennedy. It must be a Regional vision created by the region.

The Tampa area is notorious for creating groups--if we have a problem, we create a roundtable, or a steering committee, or a task force. It seems that we are often soothed by the mere act of creating another group. There is a ton of overlap and I defy anyone to tell me what all of these groups do. I'm talking about city and county and state created groups.

In addition, the Tampa area is notorious for creating plans, and then abandoning them as soon as public interest wanes. We don't like following plans, we don't like sticking to plans, we much prefer the ethemeral excitement of "winging it" and creating something spontaneous and more than often mindless.

The Tampa culture is what has to change, we ARE behind and falling further behind. I know our sunny skys and balmy breezes convinces us all not to worry but those of us who care about planning and architecture and quality of life should be Very worried about the future of our region.

I thank the SDAT for initiating this discussion.

Cordially,

Grant Rimbey AAIA CNU
Temple Terrace

Ps I encourage the AIA to begin engaging the Tampa chapter of the Congress of the New Urbanism (CNU). It seems the AIA is slowly backing into the practice of creating sustainable communities (for many decades the AIA was pre-occupied with encouraging object buildings by Star-chitects) whereas the CNU has been fostering this idea for decades, both groups could learn much from a thoughtful dialogue and exchange regarding how to better the region, and State.

[Jason Downey]

Congrats UC and the SDAT Team and thank you to all the panelists that spoke. It was a great presentation and it inspired me to find out more about the neighborhood I live in. As a UC member it's time for me to get involved in my neighborhood. I researched it and found out I live in Gandy/Sun Bay South. Here is a link to find out your neighborhood: http://www.tampagov.net/appl_neighborhoods/. I look forward to seeing how I can bring issues like sustainability, recycling, transportation, and pedestrian friendly transportation to my local community. When I bought my Townhome 3 years ago there was and is a proposed greenway behind my complex. Now with the rise of fuel costs the greenway which is a railroad line right now is getting increased traffic. The train really doesn't bother me, but the fact there is still no greenway does bother me. I can't wait to see if I can make a difference and get these ideas rolling. Thank you again SDAT for an enlightening presentation.

-Downey

[Christopher Vela]

Regarding post-comments kicked off by "M.M." during the Final Presentation, I think her comments spoke volumes of a great illusion that the City of Tampa shares, preaches, in the likes, "we have, or are working on the problem" when faced to trouble findings as shown in the SDAT's final presentation. I won’t get into examples of what M.M. mentioned, but as Taryn wonderfully pointed out, the Trolley starts at 11am!!

http://www.tecolinestreetcar.org/about/hours/index.htm

We are working on the problem, that is, the citizens of the Tampa Bay area are working hard to make positive change. I was pretty surprised (more so the manner) of M.M.'s defensive posture, brush-off of real time findings and disregard to a team who worked hard to define Tampa's problems. This is the same attitude that has defunct many citizen action studies to stall.

But I am looking forward to see SDAT suggestions become an integral part of design considerations and planning. Hats off SDAT!!

[Jessie Stehlik]

Grant Rimbey said:

the Tampa area is notorious for creating plans, and then abandoning them as soon as public interest wanes. We don't like following plans, we don't like sticking to plans, we much prefer the ethemeral excitement of "winging it" and creating something spontaneous and more than often mindless.

Wow. I had no idea Tampa & I have so much in common. :) Joking aside, many good points in that post.

[Grant Rimbey]

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/nov/25/rep-mica-urges-area-queue-p...

"Rep. Mica Urges Area To Queue Up For Public Transit Cash"

This sounds very similar to what happened at the SDAT final.