Six months ago I started writing for The GRID, here at Global Site Plans. At the time, I was working in the mortgage industry and needed something to reinvigorate my love for urban planning, again, during a semester full of research methods and statistics. This internship gave me that opportunity. I was able to concentrate [...]
In 2010, I was involved in a campaign to bring light rail and bus rapid transit (BRT) to Tampa and Hillsborough County, Florida. The measure did not pass, and every day I see a portion of land that was purchased for the light rail line from my office. Seeing that every day, combined with my [...]
In most cities, the downtown area serves as the central business district (CDB) and the nightlife hub. However, Tampa’s downtown area competes with other places for the honor of CBD and the happening place to be. After 6pm, downtown becomes a ghost town, with only the few people who are able to afford the few [...]
Master-planned communities are all-inclusive neighborhoods that are located on the fringe of the urban core. While these have been lauded in the past for incorporating an all-inclusive design, they also have been blamed for perpetuating the movement of people and families to the outskirts of town and perpetuating urban sprawl. The city of Tampa, Florida [...]
Many people choose to relocate to the suburbs to achieve a lifestyle change: large backyards, block parties, safety. As many perks as the suburban lifestyle presents, it also presents many downfalls. Longer commutes and encroachment on precious wildlife are just two of those downfalls. It does not have to be a choice between one or [...]
Having a website is essential in today’s web-driven world. Many businesses use their websites to help drive sales, leads, and advertisements. Environmental design, urban planning, and architecture businesses can benefit from websites as well. In a previous blog about promoting your business online, I constantly mentioned creating a website first and foremost. Online advertising is usually [...]
A few weeks ago, I explored three avenues for social media marketing for urban planners and urban planning firms. The social media marketing steps discussed in that blog are just a handful of steps for an urban planning firm to promote themselves online. There are many different avenues a firm can take to promote itself [...]
Trees are important for cities. Environmentally-speaking, trees provide important environmental inputs and outputs. Aesthetically-speaking, trees can provide a sense of beauty to a city. Planners and landscape architects have long-recognized the importance of trees and other plants in urban design.Tampa, Florida has a long-established grassroots organization that has helped bring trees to the city. The [...]
Social media marketing has become a buzzword this decade. Every business seems to be hiring social media marketers now. Which social media network would be the most appropriate for a certain organization? This mini guide is meant to be a starting point for planners’ and architects’ research into social media marketing. Planning professionals should always [...]
The University of South Florida (USF) is a university system in the Tampa Bay area. The main campus, located in Tampa, ranks as the 9th largest university in the country. In 2005, a class from the MBA Sustainable Business track did a sustainability audit for a class project, which caught the attention of administrators. Since [...]
One of the nice things about living in Florida are ample beaches and water. Besides possessing your typical tourist attraction, Florida’s beaches and waterfront allows transportation and urban planners to be creative with public transit. Water taxis are gaining popularity in the state, and the Tampa Bay area can utilize water taxis to connect two counties [...]
An urban heat island (UHI) is an urban area that experiences warmer temperatures than its surrounding areas. UHIs occur because buildings block the surface heat from radiating, which lets heat continue to build up in the area. The UHI effect can also be caused by the lack of vegetation in urban areas and changes in [...]
Transit-oriented development (TOD) is the development of mixed-used development to optimize access and use of public transit. Transit stops serve as the center of the neighborhood. The concentration of shops and restaurants are highest around the center and gradually decline further away. TOD maximizes public transit use by making it easier for riders to walk [...]
The Leeroy Selmon Crosstown Expressway is a tolled road that connects the South Tampa neighborhoods with unincorporated Hillsborough County. It is a major transportation artery that cuts directly through Downtown Tampa, an area currently undergoing major planning redevelopments, including a planned Riverwalk development. There is ample space along the Crosstown Expressway to create a 1.7-mile [...]
