A Civic Social
Scenic Jacksonville was delighted to welcome board and committee members to our Summer Social on July 22nd, which included engaging conversation about public space and private development in Downtown Jacksonville.
A special thank you to Colin Tarbert, CEO of the Downtown Investment Authority, and Sondra Fetner, Director of Place-Based Initiatives and Policy for the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, for sharing the exciting work underway to create a stronger, more connected downtown. The conversation highlighted the importance of thoughtful planning, collaboration through public/private partnership, and investing in the public spaces that define Jacksonville’s sense of place.
We are also incredibly grateful to Seacoast Bank for generously hosting us in its beautiful historic downtown office. Thank you to Allison Bovee and Jim Citrano for opening your doors and helping make the evening such a success.
Upcoming Events
Scenic Visions: Mandarin
Each year, Scenic Jacksonville showcases a different neighborhood through our Scenic Visions series, hosting programs for the public that highlight assets and opportunities, past and future. In October 2026, we’re featuring Mandarin.
Join us for Scenic Visions: Canopy, Character, and Commerce, a two-part exploration of Mandarin featuring a guided trolley tour and an evening panel discussion. Together, we’ll explore how history, natural beauty, thoughtful design, and local businesses come together to shape a community’s identity, and how residents can play an active role in preserving and enhancing the places they love.
Tickets go on sale September 1 on our website. We hope you’ll join us as we celebrate one of Jacksonville’s most distinctive neighborhoods and imagine its future together!
Save the Date: The 7th Annual Great Cities Symposium
Save the date! Scenic Jacksonville’s 7th annual Great Cities Symposium is on February 4, 2027 at the Garden Club of Jacksonville from 5:00 – 8:00 PM.
This year’s symposium will feature nationally recognized urban planning leader Mitchell Silver, FAICP, whose work has helped communities across the country create vibrant public spaces, strengthen neighborhoods, and improve quality of life through thoughtful planning and design.
Each year, the Great Cities Symposium welcomes over 350 of Jacksonville’s civic leaders, business leaders, and members of the public to explore what makes cities thrive, and how we can apply those lessons here at home. We hope you’ll join us for an evening of substance, inspiration, and connection, rounded out with delicious food and tasty drinks.
Join us as a Great Cities Symposium Sponsor
Scenic Jacksonville is now seeking sponsors for the 2027 Great Cities Symposium, our signature annual event that brings together civic, business, and community leaders to explore ideas that shape a more beautiful, resilient, and connected Jacksonville.
Sponsorship is an opportunity to demonstrate your organization’s commitment to Jacksonville’s future while gaining visibility among hundreds of engaged community leaders. From presenting support to program sponsorships, there are opportunities for organizations of all sizes to make an impact.
Sponsorship opportunities are now available. We invite you to join us in making the 2027 Great Cities Symposium our most impactful event yet.
A Legacy of Civic Leadership: Spotlight on Caroline Brinton
For longtime Scenic Jacksonville supporters, the Brinton name is synonymous with thoughtful civic leadership. In a recent profile by The Community Foundation, Caroline Brinton, Scenic Jacksonville founder Bill Brinton’s daughter, reflects on her family’s tradition of civic engagement, the values passed down by her father, and the importance of investing in the places we call home.
Scenic News
A New Chapter for Union Terminal Warehouse
Downtown Jacksonville has gained a colorful new public space in July, as local artists transformed the walls surrounding Union Terminal Warehouse into a striking outdoor mural gallery, stretching the full length of the future Emerald Trail tunnel. The project highlights how art, historic preservation, and thoughtful design can work together to create places that invite people to explore and connect with the city. It’s an exciting example of creative placemaking and another sign of the momentum building in Downtown Jacksonville.
Could Riverside Avenue Become a Better Place to Walk and Bike?
The streets we build shape how we experience our city. Well-designed streets do more than move traffic. They create safer crossings, support local businesses, encourage walking and biking, and make neighborhoods more inviting for residents and visitors alike.
A proposal now under consideration would redesign portions of Riverside Avenue, Forest Street, and Monroe Street by converting excess travel lanes into protected bicycle lanes and on-street parking. Supporters say the changes could improve safety, calm traffic, and create a more welcoming environment for businesses and pedestrians.
At Scenic Jacksonville, we believe thoughtful street design is an important part of creating places people love. Whether through street trees, quality architecture, inviting public spaces, or safer streets for all users, design decisions have a lasting impact on the character and vitality of our community.
Read the article below to learn more about the proposal and the conversation surrounding the future of Jacksonville’s streets.
A Note From Litsa Dawkins, Executive Director
Summer in Jacksonville. Crepe myrtles are in full bloom lining our streets, the beaches are busy, splash pads at our parks are the neighborhood hot spots, and local government is quietly in reset mode between City Council terms. Even during this seasonal pause, Scenic Jacksonville is hard at work behind the scenes planning some wonderful programming for the upcoming cooler months.
This month, our board members, volunteers, and community partners have been laying the groundwork for conversations that will help shape Jacksonville’s future and preserve its scenic character. We’re excited to bring Scenic Visions to the Mandarin neighborhood this fall, where we’ll explore the relationship between the stunning tree canopy, the area’s historic character, and strong local commerce. We’re also preparing to welcome a nationally recognized urban planning leader to Jacksonville for the 2027 Great Cities Symposium, creating another opportunity to learn from best practices and spark meaningful dialogue about our city’s growth.
While these programs may only last an evening, the work behind them spans months. Volunteers contribute countless hours planning events, cultivating partnerships, identifying speakers, and creating spaces where residents, business leaders, designers, and decision-makers can come together around a shared goal: ensuring that the future of our city and the quality of our public spaces is something we can all be proud of.
I’m incredibly thankful for Scenic Jacksonville’s board of directors, volunteers, and community partners who believe in our city’s beauty and its potential to be truly world class.
If you share that vision, I hope you’ll join us. Attend an event, volunteer your time on one of our committees, or consider making a gift to support our work. Every conversation we convene, every tree we advocate to protect, and every partnership we build is possible because people across Jacksonville believe that great cities don’t happen by accident. They are shaped by communities that choose to invest in them. We’d love for you to be part of that work.
Support Scenic Jacksonville
As Scenic Jacksonville continues this work through advocacy, education, and community engagement, we rely on people who share that vision. Every program we host, every policy we research, every public meeting we attend, and every conversation we facilitate is possible because of supporters who believe our city is worth it. Please consider supporting our work. Your gift allows us to continue advocating for world-class public spaces, design excellence, a thriving tree canopy, and the policies that will shape our city’s future. Together, we can ensure Jacksonville continues to grow in a way that reflects the pride we all share in calling it home.
Scenic Jacksonville is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.