Category Urban Transformation & the Future

Reading Time: 13 minutesOn February 19, 2016, an Amtrak train rolled into Pensacola for the first time in more than a decade. It was not carrying ordinary ticketed passengers. The train was part of a two-day inspection trip organized to examine the possibility of restoring passenger rail service along the northern Gulf Coast. Local residents filled the platform […]

Reading Time: 10 minutesIn February 2018, patients and community members entered a familiar Brownsville building for an entirely new purpose. The former Allie Yniestra Elementary School at 2315 West Jackson Street had been transformed into the main patient care and administrative center for Community Health Northwest Florida. The approximately $9 million project preserved important parts of the historic […]

Reading Time: 9 minutesIn November 2016, a large construction site beside the Foley Beach Express received a name and a much clearer purpose. The Poarch Band of Creek Indians unveiled plans for OWA, a 520-acre family entertainment destination in Foley, Alabama. The project was designed to combine an amusement park, hotel, restaurants, shops, public spaces, and a lake […]

Reading Time: 9 minutesIn March 2016, Florida regulators approved a new way for Gulf Power customers to support solar generation without installing panels on their homes or businesses. The Florida Public Service Commission unanimously authorized Gulf Solar Energy Share, a five-year community solar pilot program. It was designed for customers who wanted electricity from a renewable source but […]

Reading Time: 10 minutesIn 2015, waiting for a bus in Escambia County began to change. Riders could see where their bus was located, access route information from a smartphone, connect to Wi-Fi during a trip, and hear automated announcements inside participating vehicles. Escambia County Area Transit, commonly known as ECAT, introduced a group of technology upgrades intended to […]

Reading Time: 8 minutesDrivers in downtown Pensacola encountered a major change in early 2018. Instead of relying only on coins, cards, printed receipts, and mechanical gates, they gained the option to pay for public parking with a mobile phone. The Downtown Improvement Board partnered with Premium Parking, a parking management company based in New Orleans, to introduce a […]

Reading Time: 8 minutesIn August 2017, the University of West Florida announced a partnership intended to change how students and professionals prepared for cyber threats. The UWF Center for Cybersecurity joined Metova CyberCENTS to establish the Florida Cyber Range, a virtual environment designed for practical education, training, testing, and research. The platform gave participants a place to work […]

Reading Time: 8 minutesVacant lots are often treated as signs of decline. They may collect litter, attract illegal dumping, reduce pedestrian activity, and create uncertainty about safety. Yet the same land can become a useful neighborhood resource when residents, property owners, and local organizations work together. Small-scale urban renewal does not require a large development project. A modest […]

Reading Time: 9 minutesGrowing districts often face the same problem: development moves faster than transportation planning. New apartment buildings, schools, offices, shopping areas, and service zones bring more people into the same streets. At first, the pressure may feel small. A few more cars appear at school drop-off. A busy intersection takes longer to clear. Delivery vehicles block […]

Reading Time: 8 minutesIntroduction: Why Downtown Redevelopment Raises a Housing Question Downtown redevelopment is often presented as a sign of urban progress. Empty lots become apartment buildings. Old warehouses become offices, studios, restaurants, or cultural spaces. Streets receive better lighting, sidewalks, transit connections, and public plazas. A district that once seemed neglected can become active again. But every […]