A Guide to Collective Authorship in New Town Jacksonville, Florida Genesis M. Rodgers // BSArch Design-Thinking // Architecture as Ecology // Professor Lucia Phinney // Spring 2021
The initial goal of my design intentions in New Town was to promote better health ecologies for residents, but my thesis research has revealed that an equitable design process first promotes user agency through collective authorship methods. This project aims to serve as a guide for contextualizing participatory design methods + strategic planning within the histories of a specific community - before implementing any design interventions.
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HISTORY OF AUTHORSHIP UNDERSTANDING PLACE IDEAS FOR CATALYTIC ACTION
Northeast Florida 17th-19th century
large plantations employ a decentralized Black slave population, agricultural economy weakened after Civil War
authors of agricultural plantations 18th c. Under 18th c. British occupation in Florida, several plantations were established throughout the region
Zephaniah Kingsley, Jr.
(1765-1843) became a planter, slave trader, and merchant who built several plantations in the Spanish colony of Florida
Anna Madgigine Jai Kingsley
(1793-1870) a West African slave, wife of plantation owner Z. Kingsley, and then a planter and slaveholder in her own right as a free black after Kingsley’s death
19th c. Kingsley Plnatation is Florida’s oldest survining plantation house and is maintained by the National Park Service for its anthropoloical significance - including ruins of slave quarters on the property.
LaVilla neighborhood, city center early 20th century
Black cultural center established in LaVilla, thriving businesses and job opportunities for Blacks, beginnings of white redlining + Jim Crow
authors of a centralized culture district 1900 Eartha White
(1869-1974) philanthropist, teacher, activist from LaVilla, founded Clara White mission
1870s 70% of LaVilla’s population was African-Americans, many of whom worked in Jacksonville’s booming hotel, lumber, port, building, and railroad industries
Patrick Chapelle
(1869-1938) cultural entrepreneur in LaVilla, frequented entertainment spaces
James Weldon Johnson
(1871-1936) author, activist, born in Jacksonville, wrote ‘Lift Evry Voice and Sing’
1920s
Dr. Jay Harvey Durkee
(1870-1936) real estate developer of Durkeeville, sold land to Blacks
Henry Flagler
(year) railroad developer, President of Jacksonville Terminal, stimulatd economic growth across northeast Florida
The Great Migration northern railroad jobs drew Blacks away from Jacksonville. 16,000 African-Americans leave Jacksonville between 1916 + 1917 due to poor economic conditions, white militancy, and Jim Crow law
Jacksonville is growing 1940 - 1960s
white-dominated politics, civic architecture projects, and transit construction disrupted the Black neighborhood fabric downtown, many Black families were displaced or left
authors of a ‘desegregated’ but decentralized city center 1940s William Haydon Burns
(1912 -1987) Jacksonville mayor from 1949 to 1965, coordinated many large, civic architecture projects, loudspoken segregationist in politics, served as Florida governer ‘65-67
Home Owners’ Loan Corporation
(1933-1951), established under FDR’s New Deal HOLC was a government-sponsored corporation created to refinance home mortgages. However, refinancing eligibility was based on racial segregation maps, which accelerated the racial wealth gap
1950s The selection of expressway routes was determined by avoiding areas deemed most valuable at the time, to eliminate “blighted” neighborhoods and serve as barriers to stop spread of “blight”
1960s 75% of Sugar Hill’s families were relocated outside of the neighborhood after their homes were demolished by the
Dept. of Housing and Urban Development
1937 H.O.L.C. Jacksonville Street Index, a redlined map by H. Pope Neff
D1 D1 "The conditions of some range from poor to very poor, witn some needing major and minor repairs and some needing demo lition; so-called 'slum areas' are scattered througho�t ��e entire negro d-istnct.
NEW TOWN D1
D1
1955 Lavilla, New Town, Durkeeville, Sugar Hill developed as mostly Black residential communities
Duval County Consolidation 1968-present
authors of ‘desegregated’ but decentralized city center
housing segregation escalated with interstate construction, city tax revenues decreased as white people moved to the county suburbs
1960s Mary Littlejohn Singleton
(1926-1980) a teacher, first Black city councilwoman before + after consolidation, elected to state legislature until 1976, advocated for civil rights and consolidation
Earl M. Johnson Sr.
the secretary of the local commission, advocated for consolidation in the ‘60s, noticed failing schools, political corruption, unpaved roads, poor services
Hans Tanzler
(with Lee Meredith) Jacksonville Mayor after 1968 Consolidation election, publicized the ‘largest city in the world’ news
1980s Urban decay set in as the railroad industry declined, I-95 disrupted the neighborhood, many residents left for better work after desegregation The crack cocaine epidemic hit LaVilla hard during the 1980s , furthering decline Genovar’s Hall, abandoned, 2018 Black pop White pop
1990s Ed Austin
Jacksonville mayor in 1990s, River City Reniassance program demolishes LaVilla
2010
97%
JACKSONVILLE POPULATION
of New Town residents are Black
31%
Black alone White alone Other races
58%
2019
911,507 total pop
14.8% of Jax residents in poverty
POVERTY
1970 21%
1950
258,548 Black pop
10%
17% 23%
1850
Racial Dot Map, U. Virgina, 2010 census data
ACS 2019 data
vacant parcels
vacant lots
authors
community garden SECOND HARVEST
Bruce Ganger, William, Tora, Yemila, and other from the Second Harvest comuity garden program partnered with the New Town Success Zone
2013
Volunteers cooridnate a Facebook group to recruit residents and other helpers to start building a community garden
2021
Now, the garden beds are empty of any edible growth while some garden infrastructure remains
Success Park NEW TOWN SUCCESS ZONE NTSZ executive director Irwin PeDro Cohen coordinated the construction of the park in collaboration with Edward Waters College
2012
A vacant lot in the center of residential New Town, a few blocks south from Edwards Waters College, was planned to become a playground park
2021
Now, Success Park infrastructure remains but people playing and gathering together is limited
vacant buildings
authors
industrial DANIEL WYNN
previously Florida’ artist of the year, born and raised in Jacksonville’s urban core, paints murals in partnership with New Town Success Zone
2011
indsutrial manufacturing vernacular from 1950s, previous tenant unknown
2012
a public art mural was painted over the eroding wood panels facing Beaver St. to depict New Town history
grocery store NICO SUAVE
a Florida artist from West Palm Beach, moved to Jacksonville, paints large public art murals across the city
2011
this 1920s era building shell may have been a convenience or grocery store on a historically walkable Fairfax St
2018
the structure is still empty today, but a potential grocery store buyer commissioned the mural of his grandmother, mother, and himself
operational buildings
authors
convenience food store DANIEL WYNN
previously Florida’ artist of the year, born and raised in Jacksonville’s urban core, paints murals in partnership with New Town Success Zone
1997
students help a local artist paint a mural on the side of People’s Pharamacy to narrate Durkeeville + New Town history
2021
today, the food store still operates across the street from JP Small baseball park, a significant park in Durkeeville history
convenience food store ARTIST UNKNOWN
2011
this building from the 1940s operates as a convenience food store in south New Town on Beaver St. + Tyler St.
?
recently, the building got a fresh coat of paint with public art murals depicting seafood - most likely relating to the successful Beaver Street Fisheries a few blocks down
pharamacy + deli Daniel Wynn, 1997 8th + Myrtle Ave
Success Park playground NTSZ, 2013 3rd + Pearce St.
bus stop / hardware store Daniel Wynn Kings Rd
vacant grocery store Nico Suave, 2018 3rd + Fairfax St. community garden Second Harvest, 2018 3rd + Pearce St.
Prime Stop Grocery Unknown Beaver + Tyler St.
vacant industrial buildings Daniel Wynn, 2012 Beaver St.
HISTORY OF AUTHORSHIP UNDERSTANDING PLACE IDEAS FOR CATALYTIC ACTION
SOCIOECONOMIC APPROACHES TO COLLECTIVE AUTHORSHIP
BELOVED COMMUNITY
WITHIN-TRI-FICATION
“DICK + RICK”
is Dr. King’s global vision for radically transformation in which all people can equitably share in the wealth of the earth. With economic and social justice as pillars for reform, a healthier, wealthier, and inclusive community is an ideal possiblity.
In contrast to gentrification, “withintrification” refers to revitalization that’s driven by the people already in the neighborhood, rather than newcomers or outside developers telling residents what they need and ultimately pricing them out.
As community-engaged design has grown, much of the emphasis is on design rather than on the communities impacted by the work Good community-engaged design practices can not only create good projects but also advance social justice.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. + Josiah Royce (19th c.)
Pastor John Wallace, University of Pittsburgh
Liz Ogbu, designer + social innovator
Liz Ogbu + The Center for Urban Pedagogy, 2016
“The community was left with a new park … but it didn’t respond to their needs, or do anything to address larger social issues impacting them.”
“The community got two new projects, and some new skills... and the design process increased civic engagetent and leadership opportunities, and gave community members the chance to implement their own solutions.”
FORMAL APPROACHES TO COLLECTIVE MEMORY PATH channels of memorable movement, visual hierarchy of streets, clarity of direction
EDGE boundaries, barriers, walls, breaks in path continuity, could become a seam of exchange instead
DISTRICT approach expert field notes vs. interview notes from people on the street in Boston, Jersey City, and Los Angeles
recognizable areas with a distinct inside and outside, homogenous physicality, continuous region
NODE strategic points of entry, crossing, or converging paths, can be serial juxtapositions
LANDMARK distant, significant, identifiable visual symbols, clarity of form, richness of detail, invites the eye
‘imageability’ the quality of identifiable physical attributes that structure a social group’s mental image of a place
design principles singularity form simplicity continuity dominance motion awareness clarity of joint differentiation
JERSEY CITY
interview Make a rapid description of the city to a stranger. Give directions for your typical trip between work and home. Do any parts of this trip stir emotional feelings? What elements of the city are distinctive? What other cities you know are easy to navigate? What do you think we are trying to find out?
edges create an isolated residential district
sidewalks
existing sidewalk path connections are discontinuous
existing authorship sites food store church school/college
landmarks attract residents to gather in public space
1
6 2
3
4 5
existing authorship sites food store church school/college
vacancies near a landmark/path are opportunities for collective authorship
VACANCIES TO CATALYZE COLLECTIVE AUTHORSHIP
1
vacant lot, vacant building, art murals
2
underutilized park, underutilized community garden, vacant lot with trees, vacant lot at corner
3
vacant lots, playground infrstructure, adjacent to lively church + parking lot
4
row of vacant lots, some with fences, some with trees, some with sidewalks, all along Tyler St.
5
vacant house with yard, adjacent church organization, a block north of Prime Stop Grocery, with sidewalk
6
operational food store, ice machine drive-up, parking lot, grass patch, near other vacant buildings along Kings Rd
HISTORY OF AUTHORSHIP UNDERSTANDING PLACE IDEAS FOR CATALYTIC ACTION
Friendship Court affordable housing complex Charlottesville, VA Liz Ogbu
gathering places
health outdoors
facade rehab
adaptive residences economic stimulation
Mobile Engagement Station Interboro Partners Detriot, MI
PopupHealth Research + Strategy Liz Ogbu London, New Orleans, LA
city sign ordinance partnership Interboro Partners Detriot, MI
Improve Your Lot! Interboro Partners Detriot, MI
instant social infrastructure CultureHouse non-profit Boston, MA
Woodland Park (pop-up) Liz Ogbu East Palo Alto, CA
Cooling Station Interboro Partners Bronx, NYC
Destination Crenshaw Perkins + Will Los Angeles, CA
backyard rental space Cultivate Jacksonville store Avondale, Jacksonville, FL
22nd St. South culture district The Deuces Live, Inc. St. Petersburg, FL
engagement food pop-up
1
health park pop-up
2
park / vacant lots pop-up gathering space
imageability businesses beauty
3
health park / outdoors engagement
vacant lots outdoors beauty
4
businesses beauty culture
engagement businesses vacant building
5
gathering space businessses education
6
businesses culture history
SOURCES HISTORY OF AUTHORSHIP www.moderncities.com/article/2017-feb-lost-history-saving-whats-left-of-sugar-hill-page-2 www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/vintage-photos-vibrant-lavilla www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/overlooked-black-history-durkeeville/ www.unf.edu/uploadedFiles/committee/AAFSA/Durkeeville.pdf www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/harry-frisch-beaver-street-fisheries-a-lifetime-of-leadership www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Owners%27_Loan_Corporation www.jacksonville.com/article/20130316/NEWS/801255953 www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/exploring-historic-kingsley-plantation/ www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/five-plantation-houses-in-jacksonville-page-2/ www.jacksonville.com/story/entertainment/arts/2020/02/22/jacksonvillersquos-daniel-wynn-is-statersquos-featured-artist-for-black-history-month/112235570/ www.jaxhistory.org/consolidations-famous-photo/ www.jacksonville.com/news/20180921/earl-m-johnson-sr-helped-lead-consolidation-push-but-later-had-doubts www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacksonville_Consolidation www.racialdotmap.demographics.coopercenter.org/ www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/jacksonvillecityflorida/IPE120219 www.data.census.gov/cedsci/table?t=Poverty&g=0500000US12031&tid=ACSST1Y2019.S1701 UNDEERSTANDING PLACE www.lizogbu.com/portfolio_page/dick-rick/ www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/gentrification-vs-withintrification-in-jacksonville/ www.huffpost.com/entry/the-beloved-community-dr-_b_4583249 static1.squarespace.com/static/59396fee59cc6877bacf5ab5/t/5963e258bebafbafd749bc66/1499718274856/eppigbrachman-vacantproperties-updatedoct14-lowres.pdf www.academia.edu/14859879/The_Image_of_the_City www.maps.google.com IDEAS FOR CATALYTIC ACTION www.interboropartners.com/diary/you-can-plan-on-it deuceslive.org/ www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-10/from-dead-store-to-pop-up-social-infrastructure www.lizogbu.com/portfolio_page/woodland-park/ www.lizogbu.com/portfolio_page/popuphealth/ www.lizogbu.com/portfolio_page/friendship-court/ www.interboropartners.com/projects/the-refreshing-waters www.interboropartners.com/projects/detroit-sign-ordinance