Sustainable Tarpon Springs - Practical Places, Creative Spaces

Recently a friend / fellow Tarponite shared an amazing TEDxAustin Talk about a group of artists in Dallas who were inspired to dive head first into a new hobby they dubbed ‘Outrageous Instant Community Transformation’.  The video really resonated with me because earlier in the day, I had been talking with my daughter-un-law, Amanda, about what we would dream of manifesting in Tarpon Springs.

Artist, Jason Roberts, inspired by his honeymoon to Europe, decided to recreate the experience of a bicycle-friendly town abounding with trees and sidewalk cafes, in his modest neighborhood of Oak Cliff, Texas.  This outskirt of Dallas was devoid of healthy ‘commons’ areas, and he hoped to witness how creative spaces affect the way people interact within them and with one another.

Roberts and his friends first project was an old abandoned historical theater, but soon they came together to tackle other ugly, sterile, unfriendly areas of their community - in single weekends - temporarily making these places appear completely welcoming and warm.  This ‘guerrilla urbanism’ was a spontaneous gesture to create a vision of the way things could be.  People in his neighborhood came out in droves to celebrate the new ‘commons’.

Fortunately for us, the City of Tarpon Springs began a Community Redevelopment Area in 2001 which focused on revitalizing the town center, and thanks to the amazing and thoughtful beautification that has occurred (and is still underway) - our first visit to Tarpon Springs in February 2012 became love at first sight!  We, too, had treasured our European adventures, and saw similar, small village potential here in Tarpon Springs. 

Before relocating, one of our favorite spots in Seattle was Third Place Books, a large book store adjoined to a vibrant commons.  Sociologist Ray Oldenberg suggests that each of us needs three places: first is the home; second is the workplace or school; and the ‘third place’ is where community gathers.  In his celebrated book, The Great Good Place, Oldenberg discusses how the cafes, pubs, town squares, and other gathering places make a community stronger by creating the space and opportunity for us to get to know one another. 

So, in our conversation, Amanda and I started a wish list of everything we would hope to see come to Tarpon Springs to make this a destination location as well as a stimulating and convenient place for Tarponites to truly have the ‘daily village experience’. Our first priority was a small but complete health food store.  (Currently, Amanda and I make a weekly trip to Nature’s Food Patch in Clearwater to find what we need.)  

Another business on our wish list would be a colorful new and used book store that might have used DVDs and CDs also.  We hoped for a rustic bread company with traditional as well as gluten-free offerings.  The list kept going as we reflected on cool businesses we’ve enjoyed in other places.  We hoped to know what other people would like to see in Tarpon Springs too!

More than anything, we were hoping for great gathering places like we experienced when we first started supporting the Tarpon Sunday Market.  We met our friends there every Sunday morning, bought fresh produce, kettle corn, and then often went to Toula’s Trailside Cafe afterwards.  Places like a Farmer’s Market and the Eco-Bean bring people together for brainstorming, sharing art, poetry, music, homemade goods, and most of all friendship - the kind of network that builds resiliency.

Creating an environment for independent businesses to flourish is probably the top priority for our city because ‘unraveling the secrets’ of positive economic growth is directly connected to attracting more people to move here, work here, grow here, and shop here.  Accomplishing this goal in a thoughtful manner is the beginning a successful, long-term relationship. 

A process of ‘sustainable, community building’ cannot be done in a vacuum or incubator.  It has to spring up from those of us who live here, adding our positive voices and visions to the discussion.  I personally believe healthy commons is where it all begins, both the discussions and the experience of ‘community’.

The simplest creative urge manifested in ‘guerrilla urbanism’ has become the handbook for how to enliven our communities - gathering together for common goals.  As my favorite Gandhi quote continues to guide me, ‘Be the change...’ so shall it happen!