Comments on: 5 Ways to Bring People Back to Downtown: Examples from Orlando, Florida

By: Alex

Alex — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:20:06 +0000

A: Thanks for your comment and I’m glad you like the map. I agree, our downtown and its surrounding neighborhoods are some of Orlando’s best kept secrets — for visitors and residents alike.

M: I agree, progressive leaders and developers who understand the importance of downtown development are key. Orlando has a ways to go, no doubt, but if we keep developing at the same pace, the future looks bright.

N: Thanks for commenting! While there are plenty of great suburbs out there, for a growing number of people, downtowns (or at least mixed-use areas) are becoming more practical and interesting. I think this will be especially true with the growing cost and time involved in traveling around spread-out cities.

By: Nick

Nick — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 00:11:32 +0000

I agree with you and believe this transformation of downtown is happening everywhere. People are drawn to a life of convenience and want to be able to choose from a variety of bars, restaurants, art and music events, and public places to interact socially. I have friends and colleagues residing in different dense urban neighborhoods and they all chose to move there because of the pull factors you mentioned in your post. Thanks for sharing your city’s success stories!

By: mark

mark — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 21:55:12 +0000

Very exciting stuff here. Having local officials who take seriously the live-work-play model of urban development is key. Also, transit is going to play a major role. Hopefully sunrail lives up to its potential, and is also just the beginning of serious evolution in Orlando’s transportation systems. Downtown Orlando was boring and dead when I moved here over 10 years ago. Now, people look forward tonot only going out in the downtown core, but also calling it home.

By: andi

andi — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 21:48:06 +0000

Great graphic! This is the type of map that Orlando urbanites are looking for- quick, clear, and easy to see how our downtown may look in the not-to-distant-future.

I’ve noticed that the vibe of downtown has improved in the past few years. I have to attribute this, at least partly, to local foodies opening great, unique restaurants in the dt and surrounding areas. Also, having lived in a number of cities- Orlando stands out for its condensed and relatively clean downtown.

Thanks for keeping us informed!