From the future of the Laura Street Trio to the deep Gullah Geechee roots of
LaVilla, Ennis provides a master class on how history and density must work together to create a vibrant
city.
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Key Highlights from the Conversation:
- The Reality of "Booming" Downtown: Ennis discusses why hitting the 10,000-resident milestone isn't a "magical pinnacle" for vibrancy and why the city must focus on "The Three Cs": Clustering, Complementing uses, and Compact settings.
- Historic Preservation & The Laura Street Trio: A look at why projects like the Trio have struggled to cross the finish line and how the Ambassador Hotel's transition into a Marriott Tribute Portfolio hotel serves as a model for adaptive reuse.
- LaVilla’s True Identity: Why Ennis corrects the "Harlem of the South" label, instead calling Harlem the "LaVilla of the North," and the neighborhood's role as the epicenter of Gullah Geechee culture in Jacksonville.
- Transportation & The Navi System: A candid critique of JTA’s driverless vehicle system, the need to attract "choice riders," and why transit investments fail without supportive land-use policies.
- The Emerald Trail: Why this project is more than just a "wide sidewalk" and how it can serve as a tool for generational wealth in historically disenfranchised communities.
- Jacksonville’s Gullah Geechee Heritage: Ennis discusses his new book and the $34 billion economic potential of cultural tourism, including the authentic history behind local staples like shrimp and grits and garlic crabs.
- Website: mikesonmic.com
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About the Guest:
Ennis Davis is an author and urban planner with
over 20 years of experience in architecture and development. He
is the President of the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation and a leading voice on equitable development and mobility in Florida.
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Conversation:
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