Ray Liggins P.E., Village Manager, Village of Royal Palm Beach
Florida’s environment provides the foundation for this state’s quality of life and is the cornerstone of its economy. Tourism officials market Florida’s distinctive lifestyle, and economic development leaders promote it to attract new business. Residents enjoy the many benefits this lifestyle offers. Recently, Florida’s population surpassed New York’s, with 22 million residents and an additional 116 million tourists.
Florida’s population in 1968 was 6.4 million.
Today’s population is more than 22 million.
In 2070, moderate estimates have our population over 34 million.
How will Florida accommodate 12 million new residents and protect our environment and farmland? The answer is redeveloping our cities, towns, and villages with mixed-use, compact urban redevelopment. To accommodate the anticipated new residents, conserve our natural areas, and protect our waterways, springs, and farmlands, cities, towns, and villages need to identify, plan, and provide preferred mixed-use urban development. If successful, we have the potential to reduce Florida’s development footprint by almost two million acres, increase protected natural lands by almost six million acres, and continue to provide eight million acres for farming. (1)
If you Google “renaissance or rebirth of the city,” you get books, articles, and stories of people of all ages returning to the city. There are many reasons for the change in wanting to be in a city. One of these reasons is an attitude among city leadership that invents ways to attract new residents and keep current ones from leaving. Cities are bustling with activity; you can be alone or with people, hang out in parks, ride a bike, shop, go out for a meal and a drink, or find an arts community. Interesting things are happening, and others want to be a part of them. Every time a city visibly transforms, nearby residents with new confidence make their own improvements, increasing the sense of pride in their place. The social and economic value of the city is recognized as a place to live, work, play, and learn. This is our opportunity to capitalize on the trend, accommodate new residents in existing developed areas, and protect the Florida we cherish.
If you think your city is built out, you have underestimated its capacity for redevelopment. Many of us believe Miami was built out several decades ago, but even today, with the exception of Jacksonville, more new residents call Miami home each year.
Where is your potential? What will retail, large and small, look like in the future? Why does the Main Street/Mixed Use development pattern work? Why do people like Main Street and Downtown?
Historic Main Street has a unique development pattern. Its residential diversity spans ages, wealth, and ethnicity. It includes a plethora of non-residential uses, including professional offices, retail, service, restaurants, and entertainment. Its buildings are small and large, satisfying the need for minimal space to thousands of square feet. The uses are interchangeable with minimal effort. Main Street is walkable, has abundant social opportunities, and provides higher-than-average revenue to the local government at a lower cost per person. Main Street is the ultimate mixed-use development. Whether your Main Street mixed-use development was established in the last century, part of the redeveloping of a closed shopping center, a closed hospital, a failing suburban Mall, infill, or part of a larger redevelopment plan for your city, accommodating the next wave of Florida residents in our existing developed areas will protect our environment, natural areas, waterways, springs, and farmlands.
- 1000 Friends of Florida’s Trouble in Paradise, Florida’s Environmental Challenges, and FLORIDA 2070 report were resources used for this Article.
