When Adam Fritz takes a good look around Tampa, he sees a city that could do a whole lot better. West Tampa's streets aren't exactly pedestrian-friendly; downtown lacks well-defined districts; and throughout the city, willing workers without mass transit are stranded far from jobs. Fritz's frustration with these problems (and more) stems from a conviction that smarter urban design could solve them, but only if the city's residents demand change. "For some reason, Tampa has learned to settle," he says.
To stir the pot, Fritz, 33, a graduate of USF's School of Architecture, and fellow architect Taryn Sabia, 28, founded a group called Urban Charrette earlier this year. Their goal, in a nutshell, is to make urban planning accessible — even cool and fun — to a crowd comprised not just of architects and designers but citizens at large.
With monthly meetings, collaborative workshops (called "charrettes" in design circles) and even a block party or two, they hope to raise awareness of plans taking shape now that will affect the look and feel of Tampa for decades. Fritz sees the group's role as a complement to local government. "We're here to serve as a conduit between the public and the Planning Commission," he says. Much of Urban Charrette's labor consists of rendering visual illustrations of proposed development (and alternatives) in hopes of helping residents see possibilities for their community as something other than an abstract prospect — and act accordingly.
Later this month, the group will kick off a series of forums designed to engage the public in urban design at three different scales. "Small" — to be held at the Tampa Museum of Art on Sept. 8 — examines the art and science of making streets hospitable for thriving businesses and interaction between residents. A follow-up version called "Medium" will address the more complex concerns of neighborhood design on Nov. 10 at USF's Alumni Center, and "Large," a study of citywide planning, is scheduled for January. The group is also hard at work on a website that will allow community stakeholders to network online.
New York and Chicago are model cities, Fritz argues, but they're already developed. "Tampa is the next frontier," he says.
This article appears in Aug 29 – Sep 4, 2007.