ABOUT THIS PROJECT

Funding: The Florida Planning Toolbox was made possible by a grant from the Florida Department of Community Affairs to further regional visioning initiatives in Florida by providing descriptions and examples of planning tools designed to protect and enhance natural resources, promote economic prosperity for all residents, and enable a sustainable quality of life. The Florida Planning Toolbox builds on one developed in 2006 for the Committee for a Sustainable Emerald Coast, a public-private regional committee established by Executive Order in 2006. That committee’s mission was to develop recommendations concerning long-range planning issues related to ensuring sustainable growth and development in Florida’s four northwesternmost counties (Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton).

About the Toolbox Author: The Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions (CUES) at Florida Atlantic University prepared this toolbox as part of its mission to work with policy makers and the public in their pursuit of options for managing growth while preserving natural systems, promoting a strong economy, and planning livable communities. The toolbox was prepared by CUES Senior Fellow Jean Scott under the guidance of CUES Director James F. Murley and Robert M. Jones, Director of the Florida Conflict Resolution Consortium at Florida State University and the University of Central Florida. The website and database was created by John O'Brien.

Acknowledgements: The authors would like to thank the many local, regional, state, and federal government officials, nonprofit organizations, and Florida planning professionals who generously provided information for this planning toolbox. We would also like to extend a very special thank you to two groups of individuals who gave of their time and expertise to ensure a toolbox of the highest quality: a Peer Review Panel and a Florida Planning Toolbox State Focus Committee. The role of the Peer Review Panel and the Focus Committee members was to suggest tools for the toolbox, review the portions of the toolbox that were within their area of expertise to help ensure that the information was accurate and complete, and recommend Florida examples to use in the toolbox. The examples provide a representational sampling of many other stellar planning examples in the state.