For this field trip we got to go somewhere that wasn’t so natural. Urban Fort Myers is much different than the natural settings we have been to. However, it still provided a lot of things to learn about, especially when it comes to the environment and the history of Fort Myers.
As I was walking down the city, I was trying to think of how the city used to look like. When I walked down First Street I was trying to imagine the cows walking through, like how the city was when it was first built. I also thought it was funny how Thomas Edison tried to get the city lights but they didn’t want any because of how they would affect the cattle. Now, the city is filled with all kinds of lights.
There were quite a few pieces of art in the city and I loved walking around and seeing these. In Centennial Park, there was a statue dedicated to three influential men that lived in Florida. It was the “Uncommon Friends Statue” and included Thomas Edison, Harvey Firestone, and Henry Ford. Why were these 3 men so important? Thomas Edison, of course, invented the light bulb. Harvey Firestone, who made a big impact in the car industry by making tires for cars. And Henry Ford who is the founder of the Ford Motor Company. What’s more important is that all these men lived in Fort Myers. In this area are the Edison-Ford estates where people can go and visit. There was another piece of art in the city that I loved. It was the “Caloosahatchie Manuscripts” and it was 2 columns that had different plant species and the history of the Caloosahatchie. I’ve walked the city at night and the words are illuminated on the post office, and it’s really an amazing sight. The city has money just for these art projects and I definitely think it’s a good idea. The art adds character to the city and reminds people of the history of Fort Myers.
Now, is downtown Fort Myers part of new urbanism? New urbanism is defined as “Giving people many choices for living an urban lifestyle in sustainable, convenient and enjoyable places, while providing the solutions to peak oil and climate change” (http://www.newurbanism.org/newurbanism.html). According to this site, there are 10 characteristics a city must have to be considered a part of new urbanism. It must have walkability, which means everything must be within a 10 minute walk from a person’s home. It must have connectivity, which means that is it easy to walk through streets to get to places. It must have mixed-use and diversity, which means there is not only a diversity of buildings, with different kinds of houses and shops, but also different kinds of people ranging in age, race, gender, and income levels. The others are mixed housing, quality architecture, traditional neighborhood structure, increased density, smart transportation, sustainability, and quality of life. Downtown Fort Myers doesn’t fit into all of those, but does work into some. Southwest Florida isn’t known for its diversity in people, and downtown Fort Myers was basically the same person. A lot of the people walking around were white, and a lot were white and elderly. While I was walking around, a lot of the cars were BMWs and expensive cars. In the PowerPoint, there was another characteristic, which was that a school is within walking distance. I looked online and it looked like there were some schools in the area, but not within walking distance. They were a couple miles away from the city and on the outskirts. It would be by some neighborhood, but not by the city’s center. As for walkability, it did have that. We could get from one end of the “city” to the other end quite easily. However, if the person’s apartment wasn’t in downtown then it would be quite a walk. The apartment would have to be in the downtown for it to be a short walk.
Now, is downtown Fort Myers part of new urbanism? New urbanism is defined as “Giving people many choices for living an urban lifestyle in sustainable, convenient and enjoyable places, while providing the solutions to peak oil and climate change” (http://www.newurbanism.org/newurbanism.html). According to this site, there are 10 characteristics a city must have to be considered a part of new urbanism. It must have walkability, which means everything must be within a 10 minute walk from a person’s home. It must have connectivity, which means that is it easy to walk through streets to get to places. It must have mixed-use and diversity, which means there is not only a diversity of buildings, with different kinds of houses and shops, but also different kinds of people ranging in age, race, gender, and income levels. The others are mixed housing, quality architecture, traditional neighborhood structure, increased density, smart transportation, sustainability, and quality of life. Downtown Fort Myers doesn’t fit into all of those, but does work into some. Southwest Florida isn’t known for its diversity in people, and downtown Fort Myers was basically the same person. A lot of the people walking around were white, and a lot were white and elderly. While I was walking around, a lot of the cars were BMWs and expensive cars. In the PowerPoint, there was another characteristic, which was that a school is within walking distance. I looked online and it looked like there were some schools in the area, but not within walking distance. They were a couple miles away from the city and on the outskirts. It would be by some neighborhood, but not by the city’s center. As for walkability, it did have that. We could get from one end of the “city” to the other end quite easily. However, if the person’s apartment wasn’t in downtown then it would be quite a walk. The apartment would have to be in the downtown for it to be a short walk.
Parking didn’t seem to be too bad. However, there was actually a boat show going on along the water so the main parking lots were blocked off. It was a bit of a problem finding one, but I think if those parking lots were open it wouldn’t have been an issue. I think the most it cost to park was by the park. It was also by where a lot of the big building and businesses were. I’m not sure how much the machines cost but there were a couple “Park All Day” parking lots and they were charging $10. There wasn’t much public transportation going around, and I only saw two people riding bikes. The actual downtown didn’t seem too bike friendly. There wasn’t a bike land and no bike racks, at least none that I saw. If there was public transportation, it would be helpful from getting to the park to the city and I would definitely take it.
Although it didn’t have public transportation, it was a very clean city. I only saw graffiti on the building that was at the park. The statues were clean, the actual park was clean, along with the city. I didn’t see any homeless people walking around and there wasn’t trash or anything in the streets or in alleys. I would feel very comfortable walking around during the day and at night. Would I live in the city? No. Everything was so connected that I got lost so many times, and that was just trying to get from the park to the city. Then trying to find 41 was a nightmare. I also need greenery around me, not just at the local park. And I grew up in a rural town, where each house had a least an acre. So being in a crowded, small city isn’t my ideal living situation. To make it a better living situation, I think more housing needs to be added. I also think a trolley or some kind of transportation should be added for riding around the city. I think it the city could be changed to be more green. When I was there, a farmer’s market was going on which is a step towards that. So I think there are people who care and want the city to change. Will it happen anytime soon? Probably not because the majority of the people who live in the city are white, elderly and rich, and they aren’t too concerned about those issues.
I walked around the city a lot, and there were a couple places I liked more than others. I loved walking through Centennial Park. I thought it was so relaxing and it was a nice atmosphere. There was a lot of greenery and art, and then the smell of the water made it a nice walk. The other place I loved was the top of the Indigo hotel. There were no sounds of cars, just birds and the wind. I could also see the whole city and the bridge, which made it a great view of the city. I didn’t like the edge of the pier, which I was surprised. I think it’s because the end f the pier was pretty much just a view of the underside of the bridge and all I could hear were cars going over it. I did like most of the actual city; just a few streets were a bit dirty and didn’t make me feel comfortable. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed walking through the city.
Doing this field trip has opened up my eyes to how rich in history this city is. It also taught me about how greenery in a city can really influence how people feel. For example, I felt relaxed in the park with the trees around me but in the city where there wasn’t much green, I felt unsure. I’ve also learned that the city still needs a few changes to be a part new urbanism, but I feel like Fort Myers could become a part of it. Now, when I walk in Downtown Fort Myers, I will appreciate the city’s history, architecture, and nature.
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