Scenic Jacksonville Executive Director Nancy Powell welcomed 375 guests to the sixth annual Greater Cities Symposium on Feb. 5 at the Garden Club of Jacksonville.
Gateway Jax CEO Bryan Moll introduced this year’s guest speaker, Victor Dover.
Dover is a leader in New Urbanism: a movement in urban planning and design that aims to create more livable, walkable and sustainable communities through pedestrian-friendly design, mixed land uses and transit-oriented development.
He gave an insightful and entertaining presentation – peppered with dashes of humor – that began with the question: “What is the biggest thing you own?”
Audience responses included items including houses, cars, trucks and beach properties – and yet Dover told them none of those was the correct response.
“The streets are, by far, the biggest thing you own,” Dover said. “And all of you own Jacksonville’s streets.”
Dover went on to describe how Jacksonville and other cities around the country have achieved curb appeal through the design of their city streets. Following Dover’s address, Great Cities Symposium Co-Chair Ellen Cottrill shared her own remarks before introducing a Q and A session with Dover, moderated by Jax Chamber Chair-Elect Abel Harding.
Scenic Jacksonville Board President Bill Hoff, Jr. closed the evening, thanking those in attendance for their support and participation.