In part one of our interview, we talk with James Richards about his visit to Jacksonville to assist with The Spark Plan. A partnership among the City, DVI, The Cultural Council and the private sector focused on creating a plan for downtown to attract artists to live and work in unoccupied historic buildings.

Richards is the co-founder and principal at TOWNSCAPE, Inc., a Fort Worth urban design consultancy. Richards has created walkable downtowns, new town centers, transit-oriented developments, urban villages, and other city improvements.

The Spark Plan combines economic development, housing, transportation, community involvement, and maintenance strategies to activate the Northbank Core with human-scale interventions, creative energy, and vibrant streetscapes. At the core, it is:

… a loose, yet guided approach to facilitate organic growth/interest using the arts as a revitalization tool – Susan Cohn, COJ Planning Department

One Spark: Can you give us a little background on your work and what brought you to Jacksonville?

Richards: My goal is to help communities, districts and neighborhoods realize their potential, through design thinking that results in creative plans and implementable projects. The best urban districts, whether in the U.S. or in countries abroad, are those which provide:

• a stimulating and creative environment to live in;
• great diversity which allows for freedom of choice; and
• maximum interaction between people and their surroundings.

My great friend and colleague Chris Flagg of Jacksonville understands these dynamics of place, and recognizes the integral role that public art, artists and other creative thinkers can play in growing a superlative urban environment. When the Spark Plan was coming together, he recognized potential for good chemistry between our work and the Cultural Council’s goals.

One Spark: In the current economic climate, many people are reluctant to make a move or invest in an idea, yet you see it as the perfect time to do so. Why?

Richards: Many realize we’re in the midst of a great change, the biggest technological, cultural and economic shifts since the Industrial Revolution. Cities are positioning themselves to flourish in the “new economy”, driven less by manufacturing or even information, but by creative innovation.

There is serious competition between cities to attract the talent and knowledge workers that drive innovation. These dynamics are pointing in the same direction, towards retrofitting our communities, making them more livable, walkable, sustainable and attractive to the people, companies and institutions powering the new economy of ideas.

One Spark: Lawmakers and voters are focused on jobs and government spending, making city and cultural enhancements extremely low priority. Do you think social investments help or hurt the economy?

Richards: Our work as urban designers has to recognize and respond to ongoing and longer term trends to help cities remain economically diverse and sustainable. An important key to flourishing in the new economy, long term, is tied to attracting what business guru Tom Peters calls “Awesome Talent”. Awesome Talent is attracted to quality of place:

• places with diversity, choice, authenticity and cultural opportunities;
• attractive housing options;
• a vibrant public life; and
• walkable neighborhoods.

That’s why they flock to places like Austin and Seattle to seek opportunities, create their own business start-ups, and the like. So, investments in quality of place aren’t just niceties, they are a bedrock economic development strategy to help position cities to flourish in the coming years.

One Spark: Vision is one thing, implementation another. What does the Spark Plan need to be successful?

Richards: First, have a plan. Not an elaborate, expensive one, but a flexible way to collect the best ideas and collective wisdom of the community and give them a context, structure and strategy. This is important – great ideas take on credibility and a life of their own when they are recorded and adopted. Short-term ideas and decisions can be considered in the context of your long-term vision.

Create something very soon as a first step. Start with something small, but very cool to generate excitement, create momentum and demonstrate success. For the Spark Plan, it might be wise to consider something temporary in a limited area – say, one block – for a weekend to demonstrate the potential of your vision.

The Spark Plan and One Spark

The Spark Plan and our organization One Spark have similar names, but are different groups working toward a common goal of attracting innovation and talent to Jacksonville. Read The Spark Plan. (PDF 604KB)

In part two of our interview, Richards discusses innovation and the creative class, concepts directly tied to what One Spark is trying to jump-start here in Jacksonville. Look for part two on the website in the coming weeks.