Is Downtown Jacksonville truly booming, or are we just chasing buzzwords? In this episode of Mikes on Mic, Mike Miller, Mike Hightower, and Mike Tolbert sit down with Ennis Davis—a certified planner, public historian, and sixth-generation Floridian—to peel back the layers of Jacksonville’s urban development, transportation struggles, and rich cultural heritage.
From the future of the Laura Street Trio to the deep Gullah Geechee roots of LaVilla, Ennis provides a master class on how history and density must work together to create a vibrant city.
Key Highlights from the Conversation:
- The Reality of "Booming" Downtown: Ennis discusses why hitting the 10,000-resident milestone isn't a "magical pinnacle" for vibrancy and why the city must focus on "The Three Cs": Clustering, Complementing uses, and Compact settings.
- Historic Preservation & The Laura Street Trio: A look at why projects like the Trio have struggled to cross the finish line and how the Ambassador Hotel's transition into a Marriott Tribute Portfolio hotel serves as a model for adaptive reuse.
- LaVilla’s True Identity: Why Ennis corrects the "Harlem of the South" label, instead calling Harlem the "LaVilla of the North," and the neighborhood's role as the epicenter of Gullah Geechee culture in Jacksonville.
- Transportation & The Navi System: A candid critique of JTA’s driverless vehicle system, the need to attract "choice riders," and why transit investments fail without supportive land-use policies.
- The Emerald Trail: Why this project is more than just a "wide sidewalk" and how it can serve as a tool for generational wealth in historically disenfranchised communities.
- Jacksonville’s Gullah Geechee Heritage: Ennis discusses his new book and the $34 billion economic potential of cultural tourism, including the authentic history behind local staples like shrimp and grits and garlic crabs.
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About the Guest:
Ennis Davis is an author and urban planner with over 20 years of experience in architecture and development. He is the President of the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation and a leading voice on equitable development and mobility in Florida.
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