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An update from the Anthony James Catanese Center for Urban & Environmental
Solutions (CUES) at Florida Atlantic University
April 2006
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| John M. DeGrove Distinguished Speaker Series |
CUES is proud to announce a lecture as part of the John M. DeGrove Distinguished Speaker Series, named in honor of our founder. We welcome Michael Grunwald, award-winning Washington Post reporter, whose speech is entitled, “The Swamp: The Everglades, Florida, and the Politics of Paradise” based on his recently released book of the same title. Mr. Grunwald has won several awards for his reporting on Everglades restoration and the Army Corps of Engineers.
 In The Swamp, Mr. Grunwald tells the dramatic story of the Everglades, which was once America's last frontier, and is now the focus of the largest environmental restoration project in the history of the earth. “It is the story of a remarkable swath of real estate and the remarkable people it has attracted,” he writes, “from the aboriginals who created the continent's first permanent settlement in the Everglades, to the U.S. soldiers who fought a futile war of ethnic cleansing in the Everglades, to the dreams and schemers who have tried to settle, drain, tame, develop, sell, preserve and restore the Everglades. It's a story about hubris and unintended consequences, about the mistakes man has made in his relationship with nature and his unprecedented effort to fix them.” Join us to learn more about the history and potential future of the unique ecological treasure in South Florida’s backyard.
This event will take place on Friday, May 19th with Mr. Grunwald’s lecture to begin at 3:30 p.m. to be followed by a reception at 4:30 p.m. at FAU’s Askew Tower, Room 724 in Ft. Lauderdale. Please RSVP for this event to Renita Carter at rvcarter@fau.edu.
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| 2006 Florida Oceans Day Highlights |
Florida Ocean Alliance Chair David McDonald and Vice Chair Kumar Mahadevan joined Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Deputy Secretary for Regulatory Programs and Energy Mike Sole to celebrate Oceans Day and Earth Day in Tallahassee on April 19th. The press conference highlighted the Florida Oceans and Coastal Resources Council’s efforts as well as waterway protection. Over 50 exhibitions were displayed in the Capitol to educate legislators and state agency staff about oceans and coastal issues. This year’s Ocean’s Day theme, “Ocean Partners for Florida’s Future,” salutes the work of the Florida Oceans and Coastal Resource Council, charged with developing priorities for ocean and coastal research.
Florida Ocean Alliance Chair David McDonald and Vice Chair Kumar Mahadevan and FDEP Deputy Secretary Mike Sole at Oceans Day press conference
The Florida Atlantic University Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions serves as secretariat for the Florida Ocean Alliance. The Florida Ocean Alliance is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, public-private partnership of government, academic, and private sector organizations. Formed in 1999, the Alliance promotes awareness and understanding of the ocean’s importance to the ecology and economy of Florida. More information on the Alliance is available at its website: www.floridaoceanalliance.org
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| CUES on Topical Currents next week! |
Don’t forget to listen to Topical Currents on WLRN on Tuesday, May 2nd at 1 p.m. as Jim Murley and Lenore Alpert discuss Charting the Course: Where is South Florida Heading?, the latest CUES regional indicators report. We are currently working on including many data sets and qualitative information collected for this publication on www.soflo.org and will send an update when the data becomes available. In the meantime, if you don’t have a copy, please email Renita Carter at rvcarter@fau.edu to request one.
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The South Florida Regional Resource Center (SFRRC) is seeking nominations for its Third Annual Regional Excellence Awards Luncheon to be held from noon to 2 p.m. on Friday, June 23, 2006 at The Westin Ft. Lauderdale.
For the past two years, the South Florida Regional Resource Center has hosted this well attended event, honoring individuals, businesses, organizations, and communities who have demonstrated a strong commitment to fostering regional thinking and action in Southeast Florida.
Past recipients of the awards include: Henry Dean, formerly of the South Florida Water Management District, Broward Commissioner Ilene Lieberman, the South Florida Regional Business Alliance, VisionBROWARD, the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), District 4, the ICoast, the State Road 7/US-441Collaborative, and the South Florida Economic Summit 2004-2005.
The SFRRC is a partnership between the Center for Urban & Environmental Solutions at Florida Atlantic University, the Collins Center for Public Policy, Inc., and the South Florida and Treasure Coast Regional Planning Councils and is generously supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
The SFRRC, through its partners, works to ensure that local groups, partner organizations, and other public and private regional entities work productively together to shape regional public policy in Southeast Florida.
For more information, contact:
George Gadson, Regional Coordinator
South Florida Regional Resource Center
Florida Atlantic University
954-762-5623
ggadson@fau.edu
www.sfrrc.net
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South Florida Regional Resource Center
Partners to Link Community Building Intermediaries |
The South Florida Regional Resource Center (SFRRC) and one of its partner organizations, The Collins Center for Public Policy (Collins), are linking community building intermediaries in the region. “Community-building intermediaries” are organizations with the mission to assist other community-based organizations in revitalizing and enriching their local neighborhoods through collective problem solving and action. There is a wide variety of such organizations in our region, both public and private. The initiative to link these organizations is part of a larger project of the SFRRC and Collins: to cultivate a regional approach to public policy issues and to shape multi-county solutions to pressing problems, ensuring positive regional impact. This pilot project targets Miami-Dade and Broward counties and is designed in part to show how, given the long, narrow geographic composition of the seven-county southeast Florida territory covered by the SFRRC, both linking functions--linking intermediaries directly to community-based organizations, and linking intermediaries to one another--are best served electronically, supplemented by face-to-face gatherings when needed. A website fosters information exchange, provides a realistic picture of the state of the community and economic development, and informs practitioners of resources throughout the region. This medium also holds potential for identifying and highlighting best community development practices, and compiling and disseminating news that may have an impact on key regional issues such as affordable housing, transportation, and economic trends.
For more information, contact Phil Bacon at pbacon@collinscenter.org or George Gadson at ggadson@fau.edu.
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| News and Notes |
On March 30, CUES director Jim Murley moderated a panel at the Urban Land Institute Southeast Florida/Caribbean’s Land Use Planning for Puerto Rico’s Future conference in San Juan. The panel discussed the current and future socio-economic profile of Puerto Rico and included Mr. José Joaquin Villamil, chairman of Estudios Tecnicos, Incorporated; Dr. Hector López Pumarejo, president and founder of Developers and Planners, Incorporated; and Mr. David Chafey, president of Banco Popular de Puerto Rico.
CUES was one of the sponsors of this regional conference, which attracted nearly 300 participants from the island and the U.S. mainland.
In addition, as part of the visit to Puerto Rico, Murley and CUES’ Fabio A. Naranjo, met with representatives of two analogous academic centers, the University of Puerto Rico and the Center for Sustainable Development Studies (CSDS) at the Universidad Metropolitana, to discuss potential partnerships, collaborations and exchanges. As a result of these meetings, they are arranging a visit to Florida later this year by CSDS’ director Ms. Maria A. Juncos Gautier.
 Congratulations to Mary Beth Hartman, research associate who won the 2006 “Unsung Heroine” Award at a recent awards ceremony at FAU’s Jupiter Campus. Mary Beth works on the Florida Public Officials Design Institute at Abacoa. Pictured with Mary Beth is her nominator, research associate, Ed Maietta.
MJ Matthews, Senior Research Associate, attended the April 11th kick-off meeting of the Environmental Committee of the Marine Industries Association of South Florida. She also participated in the Quality of Life Issues focus group, while CUES Senior Research Fellow Ana Puszkin-Chevlin worked with the Rebuild Quickly—Rebuild Smart focus group at the April 19th Post Disaster Economic Redevelopment Planning Workshop in West Palm Beach.
From April 24 to 26, Director Jim Murley moderated a panel assembled by the Urban Land Institute to develop 10 Principles for Coastal Development. Panel members assembled from all over the country in Tampa, Florida to hear presentations and draft a set of ten draft principles that will form the basis for a new publication by ULI later this year.
On Thursday, April 27th CUES Director, Jim Murley, presented and moderated a panel on regionalism and regional grant-making at the Donors Forum of South Florida Spring Conference. Murley’s PowerPoint presentation provided a summary of CUES’ most recent indicators report, Charting the Course: Where is South Florida Heading? Copies of the full report where distributed to all the participants in the session.
The panel shared their insights on collaborative regional funding vs. county-based funding to best impact the region’s most serious challenges. Approximately 50 of the 125 to 130 people attending the conference participated in this informative session. Panel members included Erika Poethig of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Tim Henderson of the Quantum Foundation; and Harve Mogul of the United Way of Miami-Dade.
Also in attendance at this conference were George Gadson and Fabio Naranjo, who represented CUES and the South Florida Regional Resource Center at a session dealing with fun-raising.
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| Activities & Events |
Presentation on New Urbanism in Florida at Books and Books (Coral Gables) on May 5, 8 pm
University of Miami School of Architecture professors Charles Bohl and Jaime Correa will speak about New Urbanism in Florida in a presentation at Books &Books in Coral Gables on May 5 at 8 pm to celebrate the release of A Guidebook to New Urbanism in Florida 2005. The guidebook, published by the Florida Chapter of the Congress for the New Urbanism, commemorates and celebrates more than 100 new urbanist developments and plans in the state. The book will be available at the presentation and also can be ordered through the website www.cnuflorida.org ($21 includes shipping)
Books &Books is located at 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables.
Palm Beach County Manatee Protection Plan Public Workshop
CUES is finalizing the third draft of the Manatee Protection Plan for Palm Beach County in response to comments received from a wide range of stakeholders. Following release of this draft, a public workshop will be held on May 10th from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at 3323 Belvedere Road, Bldg. 509, West Palm Beach, FL 33406. DETAILS.
Annual Redevelopment Program Series
Presented by
The John Scott Dailey Florida Institute of Government at FAU
954/229-4104 http://www.fau.edu/fiog jdolson@fau.edu
May 12, 2006
The ABCs of CRAs: Community Redevelopment Agency Basics
8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. $65.00 per person
As more and more local governments in southeast Florida consider formal redevelopment activity, and as those already engaged in planning for redevelopment or implementing redevelopment plans seek viable approaches to getting underway or moving forward, it is time to pause for a moment, take an "education" break, and focus on the basics.
This seminar has been designed for newly elected or appointed officials and those unfamiliar with the "nuts and bolts" of the establishment and operation of a Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). It provides a "crash" course in the basics of redevelopment under Chapter 163 of the Florida Statutes. The course also addresses the concerns of planners, attorneys, bankers, citizens, and other stakeholders who need to learn more about the basics of government-fostered redevelopment.
June 23, 2006
Eminent Domain, Economic Development and Redevelopment: A Florida Retrospective and Prospective on the First Anniversary of Kelo V. City of New London
8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. $75.00 per person
On June 23, 2005, the United States Supreme Court handed down their decision supporting the efforts of the City of New London, Connecticut, to use eminent domain to acquire private property from one person and transfer it to another private person for the purpose of enhancing the tax base and, it was hoped, creating new jobs. There was a national backlash to this decision, and at least 40 states have introduced "corrective" legislation. Florida established a special legislative committee that has completed its work. In addition, more than 20 resolutions or bills have already been filed in the Florida legislature.
Come join us for a report on what has happened nationwide this past year, what has happened in Florida, and for three commentaries that will provide real "take home" value helping participants better understand differing perspectives on the issue.
2006 Growth Management Summit, May 18-19, 2006
The Department of Community Affairs and the Florida Regional Councils Association announce the 2006 Growth Management Summit to be held on May 18-19, 2006, at the Rosen Plaza in Orlando. Registration brochure and program.
2006 ALI-ABA Land Use Institute
Thursday, August 17, 2006 – Saturday, August 19, 2006
Location: TBD – Chicago, IL
Senior Fellow Frank Schnidman, Esq., is already planning the next American Law Institute – American Bar Association Land Use Institute. This annual program is designed to provide an effective and efficient review of current issues in land use for attorneys, planners, public officials, developers, and academics. For more information on the Institute or to suggest a specific topic, please contact Frank at schnidma@fau.edu.
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