‘Tis the Season

The holidays they are approachin', so we at Laurel Park Management thought we'd pass along info on this weekend's appropriately themed events and to-do options in case the spirit moves you. Enjoy! Atomic Holiday Bazaar: December 10-11 Atomic Holiday Bazaar, Sarasota's...

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Sustainable Sarasota: Fill ‘er up with Gator Gas?

As the quest for more viable renewable and alternative energy sources continues, some of the options suggested seem brilliant while others remain firmly in the world of the bizarre. Take, for instance, a biofuel mentioned in a recent article on portstrategy.com:...

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Happy Thanksgiving!

{click image for source} From all of us at Laurel Park Management to all of you, Happy Thanksgiving! We hope you enjoy a bounty of good food, friends, family, and fortune...today and everyday.

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Critics’ Choices: America’s Best Public Spaces

Okay, so—in a follow up to our last post—here are some critics' choices for the US of A's best public spaces. The article quoted is from Planetizen, a wonderful clearinghouse-style site of urban-themed articles. Do you agree with the critics? Disagree? Any nominees...

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America’s 100 Favorite Public Spaces

...and Sarasota's nowhere on the list! What about Island Park? No Arlington Park? Payne Park got snubbed? Well, it should probably be noted that this ranking was assembled by Planetizen and Project for Public Spaces largely through crowdsourcing, meaning that the...

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I ♥ SRQ: The Perfect Saturday Morning

The morning sun wakes me. It is warm but no longer carries the burn of summer; the orange light is pleasant, inviting. I wake gradually, as does the dog. The cat is stretched out on the wood floor in a bath of warm light. He half opens a single eye to watch me walk...

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Occupy Sarasota?

{click image for source} There are interesting stirrings afoot in the United States these days. From the Tea Party movement to the current Occupy Wall Street protests, Americans are making themselves heard. These two populist uprisings are generally thought to have...

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Creating 8-80 Cities

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQWWhnjNUtc] Gil Penalosa, the founder of 8-80 cities and a consultant with Gehl Architects, speaks at a TEDx conferences about towns and cities can adapt and improve. He's a smart guy, and his ideas and advice are beyond...

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A Good Neighborhood, Simply

{click image for source} There are a million different definitions of what makes a good neighborhood, but perhaps the best ones are also the simplest. Gil Penalosa and the nonprofit organization 8-80 Cities posit that if cities are safe, accessible, and enjoyable for...

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