Share Your “Urbanism on Tap” Thoughts Here…

Thank you for attending Urbanism on Tap, a discussion about Tampa’s Vision for the future of its community. We will be asking questions over the next several weeks so please feel free to visit this site often and share your voice. But first, here is a recap of what people in your community had to say about Tampa. These comments were able to be categorized into six categories.

Strong Economy

• More Private sector investment.
• Creation of ‘GREEN JOBS’.
• Need of a Primary Target Industry.
• Promote CAMLS and First Wave Centers.

Strong Neighborhoods

• Walkable neighborhoods.
• Grocery Store/s needed in Downtown accessible by bike and walking.
• Art Supply Store is needed in a convenient location near downtown.
• Artists work space.
• Neighborhoods with communal space that can be accessed by walking, biking, public transportation.
• Preservation of urban fabric

Transportation

• Safety and security for pedestrians and bikers.
• Options like bike paths, green boxes and sharrows, trails, mobility way, friendship trail bridge and Streets du Soliel were suggested by some event participants.
• Complete streets.
• It was suggested that the proposed East – West Greenway should be extended and continued through Central Tampa to University of South Florida.
• Expansion of Street Car service.
• Need Global Air Service.
• Need the best technology transit system; good and frequent public transportation.

Urban Places/Urban Design

• More Cafes!
• Installing artwork, wherever needed and appropriate.
• Highlight Tampa’s rich cultural history.
• Need a 50 – 100 year vision.

Livability

• A place where you can spend a day walking around.
• Need more – Think Tanks, Stem, Art, and Businesses.
• Develop Brand “Tampa Bay”.
• Sense of community and regional identity.
• Critical mass of varied activities, users and density.
• Being able to choose to walk, ride a bike, a bus, a train or a car wherever you go.
• Safe and secure public spaces and crime free environment.

Citizen Participation

• Citizens need to demand action and need to know what’s happening such as Urbanism on Tap events.
• Citizen Participation is the key to changing things, referring to Pinellas Referendum for Transit.
• DIVERSITY in Citizen Participation– Engage a broader mix of people – age, people of color, etc.
• A guide (forum, website, or social media) to how to get involved.

So that you’ve been caught up on people’s biggest concerns from our first Urbanism on tap event, here is the first question:

After seeing the presentations and reviewing Invision, What is the first step?  What should Tampa focus on first?

What is your favorite quality of another American city that you’d like to see in Tampa?

(Please share your thoughts below in the comment section…)