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An update from the Anthony James Catanese Center for Urban & Environmental
Solutions (CUES) at Florida Atlantic University
November 2005
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| New Book on Growth Management across the U.S. |
 Dr. John DeGrove, founder and long-time director of CUES and former secretary of the Florida Department of Community Affairs and Eminent Scholar in Growth Management and Development at FAU, has completed his third book about growth management. This latest volume examines the history and current systems for planning and smart growth in nine states: Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. DeGrove focuses on the major policies and political realities that precipitated the adoption of new planning systems; pinpoint the key stakeholders in new legislation; describe the features of various growth management systems; outline the implementation records; and examine the political prospects for the future of these smart growth systems.
Long awaited by his friends and colleagues around the country, Planning Policy and Politics presents a lively accounting (in classic DeGrove style) of the political climate affecting efforts by the nine states to manage their growth wisely and well. As Armando Carbonell of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy put it, “I know of no one in the planning world more qualified to hold the title ‘passionate observer of the smart growth insurgency.’”
The book is available for $30.00 (plus shipping and handling) from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.
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| South Florida Regional Resource Center sponsors Third Tri-County Leadership Council Regionalism Summit |
 The South Florida Regional Resource Center, a partnership between CUES, the Collins Center for Public Policy, and the South Florida and Treasure Coast Regional Planning Councils, recently sponsored the third Regionalism Summit at the International Game Fish Association on October 21st. CUES Director Jim Murley served as the keynote speaker and shared insights about the South Florida region. The audience was then updated on current regional efforts followed by a dynamic panel on the lack of affordable housing in the region that was moderated by Doug Lyons of the Sun-Sentinel. The group also explored the Bioscience industry and its role in our future economy. For more information on this event, contact George Gadson at ggadson@fau.edu.
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| Residents of six Broward cities meet to talk about State Road 7 |
On October 12, residents of six State Road 7/US 441 Corridor communities met at the Lauderdale Lakes City Hall Complex to talk about the corridor’s past, present and future. SR-7/US-441 passes through or serves as a commercial border for 14 municipalities in Broward County and was one of the county’s main commercial arteries. The residents and other stakeholders in attendance discussed their views about affordable and workforce housing, employment and commercial activity, mobility and traffic congestion, and the future prospects for young families, youth and children who now call the area home.
As reported in August, CUES has planned a series of community level focus groups across the region that will be part of its upcoming regional indicators report. The forthcoming report, which tracks significant trends and projected changes in South Florida in areas such as population growth, housing, traffic congestion and wages, seeks to get a ground view of what these changes look and feel like to the residents throughout the region. Through these local conversations, CUES will gather information from residents and other stakeholders about the changes they have experienced in their communities over the last decade and what they expect will happen in the next ten years.
CUES has planned for five to six focus groups and has already held four. To date, groups have met in Overtown (Miami-Dade), Indiantown (unincorporated Martin County), Jupiter (Palm Beach County), and the one mentioned above in Broward County. Those in the works include the Port St. Lucie in St. Lucie County and Homestead in Miami-Dade County. Each of these communities has experienced or is experiencing some type of rapid change in their communities, such as change in population demographics, school overcrowding, urban development, gentrification, and rapid loss of agricultural or green space.
CUES has been working on this project with Dr. Allan Wallis of the University of Colorado at Denver, who serves as a consultant for our regional indicators work, and Dr. April Young of the Collins Center for Public Policy, Inc., as part of an ongoing collaboration between CUES, the Collins Center and the other two partners in the South Florida Regional Resource Center, the South Florida and Treasure Coast Regional Planning Councils. For more information on our regional indicators work, see www.soflo.org. For more information on the South Florida Regional Resource Center, see www.sfrrc.net.
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| Tours of Abacoa: a CUES North Service |
|  On Friday, October 7, Ed Maietta of the CUES North office, conducted a tour of Abacoa for 25 conference participants from the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). The exploration of Abacoa enabled the group to examine the community’s application of new urbanist principles on the ground and to learn from Abacoa’s successes as well as the areas in which it needs to improve. Jeff Brick, of the City of Boca Raton’s Planning Department, who organized the tour of Abacoa and other mixed use developments like City Place, later said, “Abacoa was the highlight of the day.”
For more information about educational tours of Abacoa for students, educators and professionals, please contact Ed Maietta at (561) 799-8526 or emaietta@fau.edu.
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| News and Notes |
CUES participated in the Broward Housing Partnership’s “Affordable Housing Summit” that took place on October 5th and 6th. Director Jim Murley moderated a panel that focused on public policy tools that can be used to increase the stock of affordable housing. George Gadson, South Florida Regional Resource Center coordinator served as the master facilitator for the working groups. For more on the partnership and this event, see www.browardhousingpartnership.org. Click here to download a summary of the event.
CUES participated in FAU’s 2005 Research Day on Thursday, October 20. Students, faculty, and community members showed up to support Florida Atlantic's researchers and local industry leaders. In the morning there were panel sessions discussing Opportunities and Challenges in Industry-University Collaborations. FAU faculty and representatives from Scripps and IBM participated in the morning's event. During the afternoon, Round Table discussions were held concerning current research trends and issues prevalent in our world today including cancer research, research ethics and integrity, issues of aging, science in education, environmental research and disaster management. CUES Assistant Director Lenore Alpert led the table discussion on disaster management with FAU Department of Regional Planning department faculty, Joyce Levine. In addition, CUES contributed to the College of Architecture, Urban and Public Affairs research displays and exhibits. FAU’s Vice President of Research Dr. Larry Lemanski concluded the day by noting that "FAU is growing in its recognition as an institution of Research excellence." In the spring, the University will hold another Research Day recognizing the research accomplishments of the FAU faculty and students.
The CUES office in Jupiter welcomes project coordinator Mike Brunson, who began working here part time in June. A Florida Atlantic University alumnus, Mike brings extensive administrative and fund-raising experience from such non-profit organizations Child Care Resource & Referral, Inc. and the National Alliance for Youth Sports to the CUES North team.
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| Activities & Events |
Symposium on Workforce Housing
On Friday, December 2, 2005, the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council will host the Region's first-ever symposium on workforce housing. Workforce Housing refers to housing that is affordable to the region's middle-income workers - the teachers, firefighters, police officers and nurses and others who provide day-to-day essential services but cannot afford to live in the communities they serve. A lack of affordable workforce housing in our communities affects the Region's economy through increased commute times to work and congested roads. Hardships are created for employers who find it increasingly difficult to find employees to fill much-needed entry and mid-level positions in industries such as Professional Services, Retail Trade, Education and Health Services.
This first-ever symposium on workforce housing intends to bring together housing and community development officials, the building industry, banking and finance, business associations, industry, local elected officials and all those interested in addressing the workforce crisis in our Region. Participants will have an opportunity to better understand the scope and magnitude of the Region's housing crisis and learn about successful model programs being used by communities to address workforce housing needs. Case studies will be featured to give attendees a nuts and bolts appreciation of how to implement innovative solutions locally and regionally.
More information on this event.
The Art of the Town: A Legacy Worth Keeping: Past, Present, Future
Planning and Historic Preservation in Palm Beach Lecture Series
At the SOCIETY OF THE FOUR ARTS GUBELMANN AUDITORIUM
Wednesday, December 7, 2005 • 10:00am
Leon Krier
Architect to HRH The Prince of Wales
“The Past Present and Future of Great Towns”
Wednesday, December 7, 2005 • 5:30pm
The Honorable Joseph P. Riley
Mayor of Charleston, S.C.
“The Role of Historic Preservation in Building Great Towns”
Friday, December 9, 2005 • 11:00am
Robert Campbell
Architecture Critic, The Boston Globe
“Imagining Palm Beach: A Summation”
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
presented by The Society of the Four Arts &
Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach
in cooperation with
Historical Society of Palm Beach County, Palm Beach Civic Association,
The Garden Club of Palm Beach, The Town of Palm Beach
underwriters,
Gunster Yoakley, Lehman Brothers
Broward Section., Florida Chapter American Planning Association Lunchtime Speaker Series
Our next luncheon, scheduled for Friday, January 27, 2006 from 12 until 1:30, will feature a presentation on transit concurrency in Broward County.
Location: Tower Club, One Financial Plaza, 28th Floor in Fort Lauderdale. note NO JEANS OR SHORTS PERMITTED Lunch provided, $20 BAPA members, $25 Non-Members. RSVP to Sue Henderson at shenderson@broward.org.
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