by TRC_Admin | Sep 30, 2020 | Advertising Industry, City Signs, Historic, Placemaking
Photo: Robert Whitehead
“Building signs have grown into a $37.5 billion industry. Some have become so iconic they are peranent parts of the landscape, often standing in for their hometown.
Some signs have become so iconic, they are permanent parts of the landscape — and sometimes stand in for the cities in which they are found…
The boldness of Miami
Nothing captures the vibe of this Florida city like the pastel-colored Art Deco hotels and glowing neon signs along Ocean Drive on Miami Beach — all part of a historic district. Erected in 1935, the three-story Colony Hotel was one of the first of the properties to make its mark. Henry Hohauser designed the structure, in the streamlined style of the day, as well as its inverted-T sign. His boxy marquee allowed the name to be seen from both sides and the beach… Materials used in construction during the Depression weren’t of the highest quality, however, and by 1989 the marquee had to be rebuilt. Recently, the neon letters were painstakingly removed again before a new marquee made of galvanized steel was installed and the letters put back on.
The quirkiness of Los Angeles
The sign above Randy’s Donuts in Los Angeles can be seen by those flying in and out of Los Angeles International Airport.
The sprawling Southern California city is home to a number of “programmatic” signs — ones shaped like the products their businesses sell, designed to flag down passing motorists. The dimpled pastry atop Randy’s Donuts in the Inglewood neighborhood is by far the best known of the bunch.
Thirty-two feet in diameter, the doughnut can be spotted from the air by those flying in and out of Los Angeles International Airport. And if people haven’t laid eyes on it in person, they have likely seen it in movies, music videos and promotions.
The sophistication of Chicago
The Gothic-style letters of the Drake Hotel’s famous sign stand nearly 12 feet tall and have been perched on the roof of the landmark building in downtown Chicago since 1940.”
— Jane Margolies, New York Times
Great photos and more about additional cities and their iconic signs
by TRC_Admin | Jul 23, 2020 | Placemaking
Photo: Scenic Jacksonville
“Great cities have iconic riverfront parks that connect people to their waterways.
In Jacksonville, we are fortunate to have one of our nation’s great rivers, the St. Johns, flowing through the heart of our city, while also having an expansive blank slate of publicly owned land along the river in Downtown.
As a result, a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is before us.
We have the chance to transform a significant portion of this riverfront property into a signature network of public green spaces and iconic parks that prioritizes public access, connects the community to the river, creates a more resilient Downtown, and provides a catalyst to surrounding economic development.
Other mid-size cities like St. Petersburg, Tampa, Chattanooga, Detroit, Louisville,and Nashville have successfully capitalized on this approach, resulting in vibrant riverfronts and reinvigorated downtowns. Why not Jacksonville, too? A truly remarkable park system along our river would transform our city.
Riverfront Parks Now consists of representatives from various nonprofit organizations including Scenic Jacksonville, the Late Bloomers Garden Club, The Garden Club of Jacksonville, Greenscape and St. Johns Riverkeeper.
We envision a well-designed connected river park system that would not only give the public easy access to the river, it could be Jacksonville’s defining centerpiece. Most of the land already belongs to the city, which eliminates the significant cost of buying riverfront property from a private landowner. A well-designed system of parks and green spaces also offers unparalleled economic opportunities for our Downtown. We know from numerous economic studies that urban parks and greenways are proven economic drivers that increase adjacent property values and spur surrounding development.
The current advent of COVID-19 also reminds us of how important it is to offer equitable and high-quality public spaces for all citizens to enjoy and be able to social distance in a safe way. In addition, such a park system could create a more resilient riverfront, serving as a buffer that helps protect downtown from future storms and flooding.
Imagine extensive public green spaces, shade trees, gardens and various recreational activities all along the Downtown riverfront, including an ‘iconic’ destination park. Jacksonville’s residents and visitors alike would enjoy paths and trails, playgrounds, wading pools, outfitters, and cafes.
Transforming Bay Street into a tree-lined promenade would connect historic Downtown to the entertainment district around the Stadium District. A unified design for the riverfront would also complement and incorporate Groundwork Jacksonville’s exciting plans for restoring McCoys and Hogans Creeks and creating the Emerald Trail with 33-miles of biking/walking paths. This integrated network of parks and green spaces would significantly enhance public access to our river, while also connecting the Southbank and surrounding neighborhoods to Downtown.
Studies have estimated that the return on investment for great parks can be as high as 40 to 1 in economic impact, with an increase in surrounding property values as much as 49 percent. Just think of the economic impact created by Chicago’s Grant Park, New York’s Central Park, or the Boston Commons…
The time is right. The time is now.”
— Riverfront now, Palm Beach Post
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Visit Scenic Jacksonville
by TRC_Admin | Jun 29, 2020 | Historic, Placemaking
Photo: Pioneer Florida Museum and Village, Douglas R. Clifford
“[The log cabin] was built by hand with local trees from when logging was the primary industry in Dade City.
The Pioneer Florida Museum & Village likes to collect old things, from tiny handheld folding fans to a two-story, 156-year-old house built by one of Pasco County’s first settlers.
It is all located on the 16-acre wooded Dade City campus that teaches Florida’s pioneer history.
A dental office exhibit in the main museum educates visitors on early medical practices, and Lacoochee’s former one-room schoolhouse provides a glimpse into the educational system of the 1930s.
Last month, the museum welcomed an addition: a donated L-shaped log cabin built in the Pasco wilderness more than 100 years ago…
The log cabin, currently in two pieces awaiting connection, illustrates how handmade pioneer homes lasted despite barely using nails, adhesives and other items found in modern construction.
‘I have never seen a better example of Florida Cracker-style architecture,’ said Steve Melton, the museum volunteer who led the effort to move the cabin to the campus. ‘As the saying goes, They don’t make ‘em like they used to.’…
It’s like the Lincoln Logs that kids use to build miniature cabins, ‘but the real thing that was built to stand for over 100 years,’ Melton said…
Melton said he so fell in love with the cabin that he was inspired to write a poem about it.
The final refrain reads, ‘If only this log home could talk. Stories on the front porch, underneath her shade. This ol’ girl has a new home and life. Think of the memories that will be made.'”
— Paul Guzzo, Tampa Bay Times
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by TRC_Admin | May 27, 2020 | Placemaking
Illustration: Preserve the ‘Burg
“It has been said that attachment to a place increases with the distinctiveness of that place. As big-box stores, fast-food chains, and sprawl overtake so many Florida cities, St. Pete has jealously guarded its charm and distinctiveness. And we love it for that.
Preserve the ‘Burg will explore the city’s unique personality in a new series of one-minute videos, titled ‘A Sense of Place’. The series will offer a glimpse into those places and people that make St. Pete special. We hope these videos will remind you, as we all stay sheltered in our homes, how lucky we are to be a part of a place as special as St. Petersburg.
The first video in this series is focused on First Block. Would you believe that St. Pete and all of Pinellas County banned alcohol 7 years before Prohibition took effect across the Country?…”
— Preserve the ‘Burg Newsletter
See video here
Visit Preserve the ‘Burg here
by TRC_Admin | May 27, 2020 | Placemaking
Photo: Tampa International Airport
“On Saturday, May 16, chalk artists – big and small – visited the Airport’s Cell Phone Waiting Lot to see their art displayed on the big screen.
After soliciting digital chalk art drawings from May 5 – 12, the Airport team ultimately received 557 submissions, selecting 119. The art serves to inspire and uplift both the traveling public and TPA’s own essential employees.
‘This initiative was really positive for us, not only because of the incredible images we received, but because we got the opportunity to bring the community together during these difficult times,’ said Chris Minner, Executive Vice President of Marketing…
Roughly 80 vehicles of chalk art connoisseurs stopped by Saturday’s event, driving by the screens or taking a beat to park and watch the images scroll by.
The selected pieces will live on digital screens throughout the Airport for the next month.”
— Tampa International Airport
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by TRC_Admin | Feb 3, 2020 | Mural, Placemaking
Photo: City of Clearwater
“The city will officially launch its Placemaking Playbook featuring five public art projects in January.
They’re an inevitable fixture in any cityscape but, face it, Dumpsters and storm drains are hardly attractive.
The City of Clearwater, however, is recruiting residents and business people to lend their talents to turn these eyesores into works of art.
During the New Year, residents are encouraged to help beautify the city and turn Dumpsters and drains into meaningful public art by covering them in colorful murals.
The city kicked off its Storm Drain Mural Program Oct. 7 with a ribbon-cutting for the inaugural mural at the corner of Fort Harrison Avenue and Cleveland Street in downtown Clearwater. The city commissioned Clearwater artist Beth Warmath to paint the first storm drain mural…
The city followed up in November by introducing its Dumpster Art Program in which residents are invited to paint murals on Dumpsters around the city.
‘This program presents a unique opportunity to transform something that isn’t traditionally beautiful into a work of art,’ said Juliahna Green, neighborhoods coordinator for the City of Clearwater.
The city will provide the blank canvas — the Dumpsters — and all the necessary supplies. Participants need only to supply their time, creativity and ideas to beautify the Dumpsters located at schools, apartment buildings and businesses.
Photo: City of Clearwater
Applications can be submitted by individuals or teams and must specify the design and intended location. The city must approve the application before painting may begin.
‘Projects like this have the power to brighten up street corners and bring communities together around a common project: a bright and beautiful Clearwater,’ Green said.
Photo: City of Clearwater
This is the fifth placemaking project the city launched in 2019. Placemaking is a multi-faceted approach to planning, designing and managing public spaces that promote people’s health, happiness and well-being.
Earlier this summer, the city introduced the placemaking projects Sidewalk Rain Art and Signal Box Art.
And, in October, the city initiated the Little Free Library program to promote literacy as well as community placemaking.
Under the Little Free Library, residents are encouraged to design and erect a public library box in to use as a free book exchange. The city encourages the use of recycled materials to create colorful book drops or residents can order a pre-made library that can be painted, decorated and installed in front of a coffee shop, public building, bus stop or school…”
— D’Ann Lawrence White, Patch
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