(Re)stitchTampa,aninternationaldesignideascompetition,challengeddesignerstoconsiderinnovativedesignideasandstrategies,employingconnectiveurbanlandscapesandecologicalinfrastructureasanunderlyingframeworkforthepost-warcoastalcity.Thecompetitionbriefpositedthatthisframeworkmightoperateasacatalystfortheeconomicredevelopment,aswellasthelandscapeandurbanrecoveryofTampa,Florida.Thesestrategiesmightphysicallyreconnectafragmentedcity,itsurbanfabricpuncturedwithurbanvacanciesandsignificantlyimpactedbyforeclosuresduringthefinancialcrash,aswellasearliersuburbanexpansionandurbanrenewalagendas.TheObamaadministration’sannouncementin2010of1.25billiondollarsoffederalstimuluspackagemoniesearmarkedforahigh-speedrailconnectionbetweenOrlandoandTampa,tobethefirstintheUnitedStates,wastheinitialcatalystforthelargescaleinfrastructuralre-thinkingofthecity.Whilethehigh-speedrailwasnotimplementedintheend,squashedbyteapartypolitics,thisinfrastructuralinitiativestillpromptedthemomentumandenthusiasmforaninfrastructuralre-thinkingofthecity.Howmightthisnewurbanframeworkbegintochoreographtheflowsandmovementsthroughthecity,toandfromitsriverrunningthroughTampa,virtuallyhiddenandundetected?Thechargeofanurbandesignmasterplan,initiallyfocusedaroundwhatwasdesignatedasthehigh-speedrailstation,wastheimpetusforthere-thinkingandrecalibrationofinfrastructurethroughecologiesforthecity.Thispublicationcriticallyexaminestheseissuesthroughessays,inadditiontoshowcasingselectedcompetitionentries,theresultsof(re)stitchTampa.Thediscoursedistillsthedesignschemesandexaminestheirpossibilitiesasviablealternativeurbanmodelsfordevelopment,whichreconsidertherelationshipoflandscapetothecityandurbanredevelopment.Italsoproposeshowtheschemesmightoperateastransformativeurbandesignagentsandastheunderlyingconnectivetissuewhich(re)stitchthecitytotheriverandbringtheriveranditsecologiesintothecity.
