1. Looking south along Hogan Street.

  2. An example of racial disparity. Inner city shotgun neighborhood still lacking paved streets in the 1970s.

  3. Waiting for the bus in Hemming Park.

  4. A “pedestrian scramble” in full effect at Adams and Hogan Streets. Also known as a “Barnes Dance”, this was a pedestrian crossing system that stopped all vehicular traffic, allowing pedestrians to cross intersections in every direction, including diagonally, at the same time. First used in the late 1940s, it fell out of favour with traffic engineers because it prioritized flow of pedestrians over flow of automobile traffic. The Florsheim Shoes store is currently occupied by Downtown Vision, Inc.

  5. Looking north of Laura Street, from West Adams Street.

  6. Still a mixed-used community with commerical within walking distance of residential uses.

  7. Looking towards downtown from the intersection of Riverside Avenue and Forest Street. Anyone notice the fire station?

  8. Brooklyn’s congested Riverside Avenue. Continued roadway widenings significantly reduced sidewalk width.

  9. Urban renewal! A sign of things to come.

Article by Ennis Davis, AICP. Davis is a certified senior planner and graduate of Florida A&M University. He is the author of the award winning books “Reclaiming Jacksonville,” “Cohen Brothers: The Big Store” and “Images of Modern America: Jacksonville.” Davis has served with various organizations committed to improving urban communities, including the American Planning Association and the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation. A 2013 Next City Vanguard, Davis is the co-founder of Metro Jacksonville.com and ModernCities.com — two websites dedicated to promoting fiscally sustainable communities — and Transform Jax, a tactical urbanist group. Contact Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com