Can Planning Help Heal the Site of the Trayvon Martin Shooting?

In the days following the shooting of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin in Sanford, FL, much was made of the influence the built environment had on the event. A year later, the city is developing a vision for how to shape its shared future.

1 minute read

March 1, 2013, 11:00 AM PST

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj

Matthew Peddie looks at Imagine Sanford, "a project aimed at creating a solid identity for the city — and a plan for how to get there. Sanford Mayor Jeff Triplett says although the project started in January 2012, since Trayvon Martin’s death the pressure has been on to get the project moving."

"Although Sanford has an enviable downtown, he says, more needs to be done to link up the distinct areas of the city, including the historic African American neighborhood of Goldsboro. 'We haven’t really done a very good job of making Goldsboro part of the city, so to speak,' he says."

"Some of the other proposals for the city include welcome signs and a system of hiking and cycling trails through Sanford and around Lake Monroe."

"Triplett says he wants to make sure the trail system connects to the SunRail commuter train station. 'Some people say we’re disadvantaged because of the placement of our SunRail [but] we’re kind of blessed in a way because we’ve got a blank slate out there.'”

FULL STORY: A Year After the Trayvon Martin Shooting, Florida City Examines Urban Design

Thursday, February 28, 2013 in Transportation Nation

Land Use Florida Trayvon Martin Sanford

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