Southeast Florida 2060


About Southeast Florida 2060

Southeast Florida, like other metropolitan regions across the United States and the world, competes for jobs, economic investment, and future prosperity on a global playing field that knows no jurisdictional boundaries.  From Indian River to the Florida Keys, this complex region is composed of four sub regions, hundreds of unique communities, distinct cultures, and one-of-a-kind natural treasures.  And while each of these peoples and places possess unique qualities, it is clear that all share an intertwined economic and environmental destiny.

The Southeast Florida 2060 initiative will work with the region’s stakeholders to build a regional vision which captures the dreams and hopes of its citizens for a brighter future and improved quality of life for themselves and their children. 

The Southeast Florida 2060 initiative will provide a framework for integrated and unified investment strategies to assure a high quality of life and economic competitiveness for the region’s communities.  The initiative will promote and foster a shared understanding of the region’s natural, physical, social, and economic assets while respecting the diverse character of the region’s communities.  It will increase the public’s recognition and understanding of the region’s shared values, challenges and opportunities.
 


Why is this needed?


An Accidental Region

In some respects, Southeast Florida is an accidental region, defined by geography and common environmental concerns. 

The region’s cities have literally grown to meet each other.  Communities that have long thought of themselves as unique oases are finding that their economic fortunes are intertwined with those of the city next door or down the coast.  International events and turmoil, particularly in Latin and Central America and the Caribbean, directly affect the economy and many of the residents of Southeast Florida. 

Unlike most major metropolitan regions, Southeast Florida did not grow around a central city.  Instead growth has spread from east to west, from the Atlantic to the Everglades.  Most of this region’s residents move from somewhere else; historically from the urban centers of the Northeast and Midwest.  That has changed; in the last five years 7 of every 10 new residents emigrated from other countries. 

Why now?

It’s time for Southeast Florida to move to the next level, to develop a regional mindset that focuses more on how to maximize the commonalities than accentuate the differences.

The shifting nature of the global economy is changing the way business is done.  Regions that can’t recognize and adapt to these changes will cease to be economically competitive.  It’s time to broaden the context for the region’s economic competitiveness.  Southeast Florida will never be as competitive and innovative as it could be without developing regional leaders who are able and willing to collaborate across the boundaries of geography, sector, constituencies, and topical foci to maximize opportunities and address challenges.
 

The Southeast Florida 2060 Initiative

To be successful Southeast Florida 2060 must engage a broad and diverse group of stakeholders reaching across all boundaries -- political, jurisdictional, sector and topical.

The South Florida Regional Planning Council, the Center for Environmental and Urban Solutions at FAU, the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council and the Urban Land Institute SE Florida/Caribbean are working together to design and organize a collaborative process to achieve a regional framework for integrated and unified investment strategies for the future.  A core group of stakeholders have begun working together to envision and organize this initiative and recruit others.  They include:

In the past five years, private, public and nonprofit entities have begun the process of working together as evidenced by the development of organizations like the Regional Business Alliance, the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, the iCoast, and the South Florida Regional Resource Center.  The Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach County MPOs have formed a regional coordination group as have the Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River County MPOs.  The Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach county commissions meet together periodically, as do the South Florida and Treasure Coast Regional Planning Councils, and the three county-based Leadership programs.  All are steps in the right direction; however, each of these still occurs largely within its own circle of interests and stakeholders. 

Initially identified goals include:

For additional information, please contact:   South Florida Regional Planning Counci
                                                                      email:  sfadmin@sfrpc.com