Our last post spoke briefly about Sarasota's rich tradition of modern architecture—in Burns Court, on Lido Shores and Siesta Key, and scattered throughout downtown Sarasota. In case you might want to go check out some of these landmarks yourself, below is some info on...
Pedaling to Prosperity
One of the truly encouraging trends we've seen the past few years is the gradual uptick in urban cycling around Sarasota. Many new bicycle parking racks have been installed and people are slowly catching on to the fact that the bike may just be the best way to get...
The Smart Math of Mixed-Use
Great article about the economics of mixed-use development, something we're always pushing here at Laurel Park Management. Mixed-use helps makes places walkable and livable. It helps make them better, more beautiful, and more vibrant. So, naturally, it provides an...
Come Watch Sarasota’s History Brought to Life
Event Details Friday, January 27 6-8pm Mildred Sainer Pavilion 5313 Bay Shore Road Free and Open to the Public Sarasota County and New College of Florida present the Sarasota Oral History Project reception and viewing. Enjoy stunning photographs and wonderful stories...
Public Participation and the Question of How to Measure Success in Urban Planning
Success is a funny thing, and more difficult to measure than one might immediately think. If a basketball player scores 30 points per game but destroys his team's chemistry with a poor attitude, is he really successful? Is a presidential campaign successful if half...
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...
Do We Need a Moral Operating System?
[ted id=1162] Following up on the last post, the one about cities adopting a set of guiding principles, we'd also like to share this video from TEDtalks by Damon Horowitz. The entire talk is just over 15 minutes, and is well worth watching. Horowitz, a Silicon Valley...
Should Cities Have Guiding Principles?
{image source} A friend sent me a link the other day to an article about the Dutch city Almere, a new city built on reclaimed land near Amsterdam. I'd read about Almere—a fascinating place from an urban planning and development point of view—before, but now I...
Hawkins Court: A Diamond in the Rough
Some places just feel right. The buildings, the street, the proportions, the trees, the aesthetics, the uses—in some places they all converge to create little nuggets of urban perfection. Certain medieval Italian vias and French boulevards come to mind, but so do many...
Sustainable Sarasota: Going Green by Going Back to Basics
{image source} We at Laurel Park Management aren't out to save the world. We know that task is a little tall for a rental management company. Like most of you, we're trying to do our jobs well and support our families. But that doesn't mean we can't be conscious of...