Over the past 50 years Florida has seen some of the most rapid population growth in the United States. This growth and concomitant development can been predominantly characterized as decentralized and anarchic in nature. Those familiar with the state are aware of the many issues this has engendered, be it poor public transportation, non-optimal use of public resources for infrastructure, an archipelago of very small town governments, construction standards that often lack consideration of a future rise in the ocean’s level, low levels of population density, etc. One of the recent attempts to address these issues is the Seven-50 project, the seven referring to the seven counties of South Florida while the 50 refers to the next 50 years of development. As Florida will continue to be one of the leaders in population growth in the country over the next 50 years, this is clearly an important subject to consider.
Recognizing that without a regional governance, environmental and economic development plan will exacerbate the issues listed above the plan, which is open to comment and alterations based upon public input, seeks to provide a framework for local politicians and advocates to guide policy for South Florida. There are nine more days before the final findings are compiled and considered complete. I would highly recommend that those living in South Florida – especially the tri-county region – and who are interested in playing a role in it’s future development familiarize themselves with the plans outlined by Seven-50 so that they can provide input. Their documentation makes wide use of graphs to make comprehension of the complex issues facing Florida easy to understand and their forums offer space for any clarification of issues.