January 2006 Design Session
Session
Summary
The Florida Public Officials Design Institute at
Abacoa, dedicated to improving South Florida communities
by offering training in smart growth and design, hosted
its seventh session in Jupiter, Florida, on January
26th and 27th, 2006. This session included the cities
of Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, Homestead and Miami
Gardens from Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade Count
ies, re spectively.
The session began
with teams of design experts visiting the communities
for site tours hosted by the officials and presentations
by staff on January 26. Later that evening, John Classe,
Vice President of Planning and Infrastructure of Baldwin
Park Development Company, spoke openly about the economic
realities of traditional neighborhood development, the
marketplace and design based upon finance, rather than
amenity placement, and gave a true sense of what it
takes to develop New Urban towns.
John
Classe delivers his keynote address.
The second day
of the Design Institute consisted of an all day workshop
during which the design team addressed the challenges
of each project. Through brainstorming sessions, the
team suggested ideas, developed alternative solutions
and made recommendations.
Susan Haynie observes
design expert Juan Caycedo's recommendations.
Boca Raton
Council Member, Susan Haynie, came to the Design Institute
for advice on how to redevelop the city's Palmetto Park
corridor site and how to best overcome numerous obstacles
that stand in their way.
Deerfield Beach
Commissioner Sylvia Poitier sought input from the Design
Institute regarding the City's Cove Shopping Center.
This site is an underrealized strip shopping center
that the city would like to see become an exciting environment
where people experience a unique, pedestrian-friendly
downtown that caters to both local and visitor needs.
Councilwoman
Lynda Bell a nd Vice-Mayor Steve Losner of Homestead
sought advice in redeveloping and upgrading a site that
is essentially a large, horizontally elongated rectangle. The
southern edge is formed by Campbell Road. The western
edge is formed my Redland Road. The northern edge is
formed by Kings Highway. The eastern edge is formed
by the old rail spur running north-south between NW
8 th Avenue and NW 9th Avenue.
Steve
Losner (left), John Classe and Shirley Gibson
Mayor Shirley
Gibson of Miami Gardens brought the Palmetto Expressway
corridor to the Design Institute. The City was seeking
ideas regarding how to best approach necessary improvements
and upgrades to the corridor when considering various
developmental obstacles.
At day’s end
each public official left with a flip chart of short
and long-term recommendations and drawings, as well
as a sense of optimism about creating a place of distinction
in their community. The Design Institute staff will
continue to monitor the progress of these locales, as
well as the other 23 communities that have participated
in this innovative program.
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