Many probably already know about (or attended) the Creative Tampa Bay-sponsored luncheon with Joe Cortright, a Portland-based economist. Cortright spoke about the success and properity Portland has experienced by their focus on being a more sustainable, environmental city. Cortright emphasized to the audience how Tampa's economy could be bolstered by a focus on 'green.'
Forgoing the more fobvious discussion of 'would Tampa leadership really undertake this task', I would ask how you feel about the validity of the mission in general, and how do you think our community of young designers could help bring this culture about in specifics. Being sustainable and bringing environmental awareness has become a much hipper, and less taboo, mindset in the last two years, but how do we affect real change?
As an example of specific actions to help focus on change, look into Lights Out Boston. This is an event planned for next spring, similar to the one in San Francisco last weekend, which will bring people together to turn off unnecessary lighting in the city for one hour.
2 comments:
The mission in general is a good one, unfortunately City of Tampa is weak with respects to Hillsborough County. Portland's controversial "no growth line" would be very difficult to place in Tampa let alone Florida.
Green has been a great cause for citizens to rally behind. It is a common goal and it is a goal they it is difficult to argue against.
I believe that the city wants more urban growth but they do not realize what they have to do make it happen. i.e. incentives for developers, added density for green and mixed use communities, streamlined processes, density and parking sharing, etc. (St. Pete is getting close)
I'll be living in Portland before this all happens in Tampa .
i think that in florida we should concentrate on solar, and then everything green will follow. this year, the state finally "allowed" us all to have solar energy, including hanging your clothes out on the line. we should be pushing for tax incentives, etc, for PV everywhere - especially since a PV array could also create shade below it for us humans to inhabit.
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