MetroJacksonville.com is a new urbanist-oriented web site with much of a similar mission as ABS of improving the city's quality of life. It's much bigger, though, with 300,000 readers and over 1,000 forum contributors.
Steven Dare, one its editors, recently called me to let me know they'd featured us. They're looking for people to comment on Don Shea, who'll be leaving his post here as head of the DDA to serve as a Council member in Jacksonville. They'd like to know what we know about him.
Also, btw, MetroJacksonville.com looks to be a terrific resource and model for smaller and newer groups like us. Steven tells me there's actually a new wave of groups like ours, and with blogs like ours, that have popped up all over the country.
3 comments:
Thanks Loren!
Your guys are fighting the good fight in Shreveport, and we are so glad to have you as a resource to learn about what is actually happening in your town from a public desire point of view.
Your town is definitely getting a lot of attention in our local press as people are writing about Don Shea!
We started out just like you guys, and trust me, nothing beats passion, civic belief and sound ideas.
I thought you might like this story that we ran today. Its a way that small groups can make big points to local officials and planners. Its about another group like yours in Dallas Texas. I hope you pass it on!
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2010-aug-do-it-yourself-town-square-dallas-2010
Nice to meet you and look forward to correspondence with your amazing group.
Stephen Dare
Associate Publisher
www.metrojacksonville.com
Thanks so much Stephen! And congrats on a great article! You know, I've just started work on an paper with a friend of mine on the meaning of open spaces. His name is David Levinger and he works for the Rails to Trails Conservancy. Anyway, those pictures get me thinking about how open spaces can actually be created by, well, closing off space! Thanks again! - Loren
And just as an afterthought, there's also the idea that doing it yourself is always more satisfying than having someone do it for you. And you'd presumably use the space more too. It's your baby, after all.
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