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Tampa Must Be Accessible

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 19, 2008

I recently read in The Tampa Tribune that a team of national urban experts are consulting with "local decision-makers and stakeholders" in an effort to make Tampa's metro area more livable.

According to the "Connecting Tampa" team, improved livability is going to require the conservation of natural assets, creation of beautiful public spaces and better connection between neighborhoods.

No offense to the suits, but isn't this exactly what Mayor Pam Iorio has been saying for the past several years? The Riverwalk initiative; preservation and development in treasures such as West Tampa; efforts to ease movement between Channelside, Ybor City and downtown; and her laudable enthusiasm for a light-rail network?

We have some phenomenal natural assets in this part of Florida, and it certainly is past time we took more deliberate steps to identify and preserve the wealth of resources that surround us - both in terms of conservation and recreation.

However, unless we continue to address our connectivity issues, it's going to be difficult for communities such as Brandon, Temple Terrace, South Tampa and Carrollwood - or Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco - to share ownership or responsibility.

I'm also curious how the term "stakeholder" is defined. I'd like to suggest that every single person who lives in the Tampa Bay area qualifies.

While some may run large corporations, others channel a little less revenue into the area's economy, and the homeless folks sleeping under park benches may frustrate our grand designs, but I propose we're all equal stakeholders. Any future we conceive must provide accessibility based on our status as God's children.

The history of world class communities has always turned on grand commitments to the common good, regardless of means. Our greatest natural asset remains the people who live here.

Many of our citizens are neither savvy politically nor high-stakes players in terms of investment. Yet their future will be more impacted by how we approach the next decade than those of us less constrained by circumstance.

This is why accessibility, connectivity and public transportation are so critical. Tampa Bay is rich in many ways; we need to ensure everyone can enjoy the bounty.

Derek Maul can be reached at derekmaul@gmail.com.

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