Downtown

 The word downtown never brings excitement, as it brings up images of run down buildings and high crime areas.  Over time their stature in communities has changed as downtown was once the area known for all of the businesses and generally the most attractive part of the town.  Now a days, downtown represents the total opposite, with many abandoned buildings, and run down areas.   Fort Myers is experiencing something of a renaissance as it is being renovated and rebuilt with a hub design.  All of the businesses are in a common area, with parking around the outside, to encourage pedestrians rather than driving.  Many of the streets have been repaved, and the old abandoned buildings are now being used for different purposes.  This is a great way to preserve the history of the downtown area, and reduce the need for construction of knocking buildings down and building new ones.

The alternative history mural located downtown caught my attention, since it brings up issues of the past such as slavery and other issues that have not been brought to many peoples attention.  The economy of Fort Myers has evolved from the beginning with Thomas Edison and the light bulb, and Ford, to the current day of using the algae of our beaches as a new source of energy.  This relates to sustainability as it is using our current resources for energy, which does not harm the environment like many of the current energy sources.