News Digest
Placemaking: “Clearwater Residents Encouraged To Beautify Public Spaces In 2020”
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,...
“Destin considers hiding power lines underground”
Photo: Gulf Power "The city has many potential ways to pay for placing overhead electrical lines and other utility lines within Destin underground, staff told the City Council on Monday. While the council discussed the funding options, it made no concrete decisions....
Florida’s Scenic Overseas Highway: Garry Balogh Inspiring Excellence Award
Photo: Keys Weekly "Traversing over the bridges outlooking the blue waters of the Florida Keys never gets old, especially for Islamorada Chamber of Commerce’s Executive Director Judy Hull. 'I think my favorite part is driving to work or to meetings and looking out the...
“Brooksville mural tour offers low-key stroll through local history”
Photo: Michele Miller, Tampa Bay Times "Jan Knowles...is the docent for a new mural walking tour offered by the Hernando Fine Art Council. The Livery Stable Mural, painted on the Lowman's law firm at 32 S. Main St., is one of eight murals featured on a new walking...
Palm Beach: Planting native trees
Photo: Kim Frisbie, Palm Beach Daily News "...Trees protect coastal communities from severe flooding and storms by slowing water’s strength and absorbing excess water in the soil, preventing billions of gallons of runoff annually. And let’s not forget ecological...
Consumer Reports: “Digital billboards are tracking you. And they really, really want you to see their ads.” On social media, your TV, etc.
Photo: Consumer Reports "How the most intrusive parts of the web are expanding into the real world, complete with data collection and targeted ads. On a bright Friday morning, Frank O’Brien is giving me a tour through Times Square in New York City. Thousands of...
“St Pete hosts world’s largest Christmas light maze and market”
Photo: Enchant Christmas "Enchant Christmas, the world's largest Christmas light maze and market featuring larger-than-life light sculptures is taking over Tropicana Field from Nov. 22 to Dec. 29. Visitors will glide along the light-adorned ice skating trail, mosey...
Scenic Jacksonville: Sense of Place Exhibit at Museum of Science and History
Photo: Scenic Jacksonville "Scenic Jacksonville is proud to sponsor the 'Sense of Place' portion of the Timucuan Parks Foundation exhibit at the Museum of Science and History, Jacksonville. The exhibition, titled 'Timucuan Parks Foundation: Celebrate and Explore Our...
“Ormond Beach to plant over 100 palm trees in Granada Boulevard medians. Lethal Bronzing Disease has infected and killed palm trees in 31 Florida counties. City staff said that likely won’t happen here.”
Photo: Brian Bahder, UF/IFAS "For over a decade, palm trees in Florida have been facing a plague with no cure...Lethal Bronzing Disease (LBD). City Landscape Architect Cara Culliver said there have been no cases of the disease in Volusia County. The palms that were...
Rethinking Plant Adaptation Photo: Sebastián Mejía, Paris Review
Photo: From a Paris Review article on a variety of studies about plant adaption and reaction. -- Cody Delistraty, Paris Review Read entire article
Scenic Highways: Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail
Photo: News-Journal, Jewell Tomazin "Between the Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail, The Casements and Rockefeller Gardens, and beachfront parks, Florida’s north Volusia County is home to many photo-worthy places. One of Florida’s well-known scenic routes, the Ormond Scenic...
Undergrounding: “Our power lines will be buried for storm safety. It could cost FPL up to $35 billion.
"Florida Power and Light Co. and other electric utilities in the state now can proceed with burying lines in your neighborhood, but it’s going to take at least 30 years to accomplish, and the price tag for customers is still a mystery. The state Legislature approved a...
Undergrounding: “Consumer watchdog requests public hearing on underground power line rules over costs”
Photo: SSMG "State regulators speedily approved underground utility project rules for Florida Power & Light Co. and other electric utilities on Oct. 3. But not so fast, says the Florida Office of Public Counsel, which filed a petition Friday requesting a public...
Placemaking Technology: Shine Mural Festival in St Pete has a new twist this year
Photo: Charlie Belcher, Charlie's World, Fox 13 News "Company brings wall murals into focus through smart app" "There is a new way to learn even more about the murals in downtown St. Petersburg, thanks to Pixelstix. They’ve teamed up with the folks from SHINE Mural...
Scenic America – Oct 24-25 Scenic Symposium in Miramar Beach, FL
Join Scenic America staff, Board of Directors, affiliates from around the country and local stakeholders to learn how scenic beauty supports economic development, livability and tourism. The symposium is being hosted by our newest affiliate, Scenic Walton....
“McDonald’s Sweden is putting beehives in billboards”
Photo: Macdonalds Sweden "Earlier this year, McDonald's Sweden received global attention for a fun little (literally) publicity stunt that also raised awareness of the ongoing issue of dwindling bee populations. Billed as 'the world's smallest McDonald's,' this...
Tracey Arpen presented with 2019 Charles E. Bennett Champion of the Environment Award
"...The Charles E. Bennett Champion of the Environment Award which was created in 2001 originally by the Florida Coastal School of Law. The Jacksonville Environmental Protection Board took over presenting the award in 2010. The award is presented to recognize someone...
Complete Streets: Ft Lauderdale ranked one of five cities nationwide in “Made to Move” grant program
Photo: Prnewsfoto/Degree, Forbes "Five cities in the United States are going to make it a little easier for their residents to be healthy. On September 18, 2019, Degree Deodorant announced the five winners in the brand's first Made To Move grant program, a national...
Coco Village: Murals on benches, electrical boxes and storm drains
Photo: Olivia McKelvey "Growing up in the Historic Cocoa Village, Vashti Verschoor remembers clothing boutiques and restaurants lining the village streets. The Cocoa Village she knows now has completely different look. Today, the 42-year-old mom of two is one of many...
Clearwater, Tampa, Pinellas: Murals on storm drains
Photo: City of Clearwater Clearwater "The city of Clearwater welcomes its residents to apply to paint their own storm drain mural. In addition to their artistic value, painted storm drains serve a very important educational purpose by addressing the misconception that...