Car free Ybor City: one resident imagines Tampa with European promenades

Ybor City made national headlines when it shut down certain roads to traffic so that restaurants could expand their outdoor seating capacity. The new popular AI service DALL-E has captivated content creators as the system uses simple text prompts to craft surreal images. An updated version of the software allows users to submit images and make certain requests of DALL-E. One user, @CubanBread on Twitter, calls St. Petersburg home, and has used DALL-E to imagine Florida streets without cars.

One image of historic Ybor City is absolutely stunning. Brick streets head down toward Centro. We could imagine a future where folks take advantage of an expanded Streetcar system, electric bikes and scoots, and autonomous vehicles, to navigate Tampa.

One rendering imagined the street just outside Oxford Exchange and Craft Kafe, across from The University of Tampa, without any traffic. The resulting renderings are wonderful reminders of the promise and potential of open streets in city’s such as Tampa. South Howard Avenue is also visualized through @CubanBread without any car traffic.

These measures are also part of the influence behind Vision Zero as Tampa leaders continue to examine ways in which streets can be made safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

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