Cultural Assets
The value of Titusville is found in cultural assets including architecture, landscapes, and landmarks. These cultural assets tell a story seen in the built environment of buildings, sidewalks, and streets. It is a narrative of Titusville’s history as a center for Florida’s Indian River citrus industry, a historic transportation center as rail extended south into Florida, a stop along America’s Dixie Highway and more recently a hub for the space industry at nearby Kennedy Space Center. Titusville is a city with a history connected to agriculture, the river, the railroad and the highway.
Cultural resources and local traditions make Titusville distinctive. It is important that future economic development build upon existing assets, leveraging existing physical resources to encourage compatible development that increases economic prosperity for all citizens throughout the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) district.
This Urban Design Manual addresses how the built environment can influence the preservation of what is distinctive and unique about Titusville. Important characteristics include: a historic downtown commercial district; historic residential areas within walkable distance to downtown and the Indian River; nearby natural amenities like Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge; and the historic rail station. There is a low-scale mixed-use urban environment with retailers located in a pedestrian-friendly area. There are potential connections from the central commercial district to the marina area and residential areas. Future development should spring from these assets and build places future generations will consider worthy to be preserved and maintained.