Ennis Davis
Ennis Davis, AICP, is an urban planner and member of the city of Jacksonville's Downtown Development Review Board. He is also co-owner of The Jaxson and Modern Cities. A civic activist dedicated to improving communities, Ennis is also vice president of membership services and outreach for the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association, a Florida Trust for Historic Preservation trustee, Groundwork Jacksonville board member, and author of award-winning books Reclaiming JacksonvilleCohen Brothers: The Big Store and Images of Modern America: Jacksonville. He holds a bachelor’s of architecture degree from Florida A&M University. Reach Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com.
Featured image for “OPINION | 5 ways to improve I-95 construction plans in Jacksonville’s urban core”
February 7, 2023

OPINION | 5 ways to improve I-95 construction plans in Jacksonville’s urban core

Proposed improvements to I-95 would hurt Downtown Jax. Here’s how to fix that.…

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January 24, 2023

OPINION | Changing the urban landscape in 2023

2023 could be a year of big change for Jacksonville’s urban core. Here’s a look at five trends to watch…

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January 17, 2023

THE JAXSON | The railroads of Jacksonville

Today, Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia continue to be served by several railroads.…

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January 10, 2023

OPINION | How to fit a gas station into LaVilla

These examples of urban gas stations show that a Daily’s station being proposed for LaVilla can be improved dramatically with…

Featured image for “THE JAXSON | Florida’s disappearing citrus processing industry”
The W.H. Clark Fruit Co. at the intersection of West Beaver and Acorn streets during the 1940s. | Florida Southern College
January 3, 2023

THE JAXSON | Florida’s disappearing citrus processing industry

The orange tree has been a major part of Florida’s identity for centuries. From Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville…

Featured image for “THE JAXSON | Waterfront parks: 5 models for Jacksonville”
December 20, 2022

THE JAXSON | Waterfront parks: 5 models for Jacksonville

Downtown Jacksonville boasts one of the most beautiful waterfronts in the country, but historically, our public space along it hasn’t…

Featured image for “THE JAXSON | List: The urban core’s largest historic public parks”
December 6, 2022

THE JAXSON | List: The urban core’s largest historic public parks

Jacksonville is one of largest cities by area in the contiguous U.S., covering 747 square miles of land area. It…

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State Archives of Florida
November 15, 2022

THE JAXSON | LaVilla’s Railroad Row in color

Between 1890 and 1920, more than 20 million immigrants arrived in the United States. Many found Jacksonville’s LaVilla neighborhood as…

Featured image for “THE JAXSON | 5 mid-century modern neighborhoods in Jax”
November 1, 2022

THE JAXSON | 5 mid-century modern neighborhoods in Jax

Covering nearly 875 square miles, Jacksonville is a diverse community with a wide collection of neighborhoods appealing to different lifestyles.…

Featured image for “THE JAXSON | Downtown Jacksonville’s 10 largest office buildings”
October 11, 2022

THE JAXSON | Downtown Jacksonville’s 10 largest office buildings

Downtown Jacksonville is home to the region’s tallest buildings, featuring nearly 8 million square feet of commercial space and more…

Featured image for “THE JAXSON | Jacksonville could become an oyster town again”
Fisherman Mike Hilchey collecting oysters on Simpson Creek in Jacksonville in 1985. | Florida Memory
October 4, 2022

THE JAXSON | Jacksonville could become an oyster town again

Oysters have been a staple of First Coast diets for thousands of years, although local oyster harvesting ceased in 1994…

Featured image for “OPINION | Eastside deserves national historic designation”
September 27, 2022

OPINION | Eastside deserves national historic designation

The history and heritage of Jacksonville’s many Gullah Geechee descendants have been largely overlooked, with little recognition given to the…

Featured image for “THE JAXSON | The 7 historic districts of Jacksonville”
September 13, 2022

THE JAXSON | The 7 historic districts of Jacksonville

Founded in 1822, Jacksonville is home to 107 properties and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Of…

Featured image for “THE JAXSON | 8 Jacksonville industrial heritage sites ripe for tourism”
August 23, 2022

THE JAXSON | 8 Jacksonville industrial heritage sites ripe for tourism

Industrial tourism — visiting places linked to the industries most common in a particular place — is a growing interest…

Featured image for “THE JAXSON | 6 Jacksonville day trips”
August 9, 2022

THE JAXSON | 6 Jacksonville day trips

There’s a lot to do in the Jacksonville area, and even more within a short drive. With summer winding down,…

Featured image for “THE JAXSON | 6 Downtown projects now under construction”
The Lofts at Cathedral is one of the projects that have broken ground.
August 2, 2022

THE JAXSON | 6 Downtown projects now under construction

Though largely happening in the outskirts, new construction is happening in Downtown Jacksonville. Here’s a look at six projects moving…

Featured image for “THE JAXSON | Jacksonville’s surviving historic theaters”
July 12, 2022

THE JAXSON | Jacksonville’s surviving historic theaters

The Jaxson Magazine takes a look into the history of Jacksonville’s nine oldest surviving theaters.…

Featured image for “THE JAXSON | 7 coffee concepts headed to town”
July 5, 2022

THE JAXSON | 7 coffee concepts headed to town

With the coffee industry expected to grow annually by 4.32% and proving to be recession-proof throughout the pandemic, Jacksonville has…

Featured image for “OPINION | Resolving the Downtown self-storage wars”
The Shops at 300 Needham Street/EZ Storage development in Newton, Massachusetts, are an example of a mixed-use storage center. | Avison Young.
June 21, 2022

OPINION | Resolving the Downtown self-storage wars

Developers want to lift a ban on self-storage facilities in Downtown Jacksonville, but building such facilities could stifle streets and…

Featured image for “THE JAXSON | 3 alternatives to demolishing 618 West Adams Street”
June 14, 2022

THE JAXSON | 3 alternatives to demolishing 618 West Adams Street

A building possibly directly linked to the Great Fire of 1901 in LaVilla could be demolished soon. Here are a…

Featured image for “THE JAXSON | 5 moments that shaped Jacksonville history”
The Gullah Geechee neighborhood Eastside was platted in 1869 and originally settled by the former enslaved. | University of North Florida
June 7, 2022

THE JAXSON | 5 moments that shaped Jacksonville history

As Jacksonville celebrates its 200th birthday this week, here are five moments that made the city what it is today:…

Featured image for “THE JAXSON | Uncovering Jewish heritage sites in Jacksonville”
May 24, 2022

THE JAXSON | Uncovering Jewish heritage sites in Jacksonville

May is recognized as Jewish American Heritage Month. Jacksonville has a long Jewish history, with a Jewish community dating as…

Featured image for “THE JAXSON | Uncovering Jacksonville’s Asian American story”
May 10, 2022

THE JAXSON | Uncovering Jacksonville’s Asian American story

Since 1990, May has been recognized as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, celebrating the achievements, history, culture and…

Featured image for “THE JAXSON | 5 Jacksonville bicycle history facts”
May 3, 2022

THE JAXSON | 5 Jacksonville bicycle history facts

In honor of National Bike Month, The Jaxson has five Jacksonville bicycle history facts and sites: Built in 1925 for…