Florida

Sarasota County, Florida, is looking to gain greater control over planning from cities in an upcoming vote. This move is in response to a recent report that outlines how city planning in the county has encouraged sprawl over the last 50 years.

March 1, 2007 - Charlotte Sun-Herald

More common sense is needed in creating and managing the litany of federal, state and local policies intended to create more affordable housing.

February 27, 2007 - Florida Trend

Walt Disney's utopian dream forever changed Orlando, Florida, and laid the blueprint for the new American metropolis.

February 26, 2007 - National Geographic

Rising property costs and the threat of hurricanes are pushing more and more people out of the Florida Keys. The area experienced a 4% decline in population between 2000 and 2005, a trend expected to continue.

February 25, 2007 - The Christian Science Monitor

To the dismay of many residents, plans have been submitted for a housing development of more than 12,000 units in western Palm Beach County, Florida. Zoning and building guidelines would have to be changed to allow the development.

February 23, 2007 - South Florida Sun-Sentinel

As another highrise condo development towers in Miami, local historic preservation advocates complain that the historic Vizcaya Museum's garden views will be permanently damaged.

February 14, 2007 - The Miami Herald

A measure has been passed in South Miami that places a moratorium of construction of new two-story houses -- a measure aimed at preventing development of oversized homes, or McMansions.

February 14, 2007 - The Miami Herald

Through the creation of 5 new mixed-use business districts, the low density and auto-oriented Miami suburb of Hialeah is looking to create new growth and economic vibrancy.

February 13, 2007 - The Miami Herald

After 15 years, a university president's ambitious plans to improve his school have made an equal -- if not bigger -- impact on the surrounding region.

February 11, 2007 - The Orlando Sentinel

A unique regional organization is inviting thousands of today's Central Floridians to determine the future living pattern of 3.5 million new residents projected for the area by 2050.

February 3, 2007 - The Orlando Sentinel

A city ordinance in Orlando, Florida, does not allow social service groups that help the city's homeless population to expand or renovate their facilities, out of fear that development will be hindered. Many groups are looking to change this law.

January 31, 2007 - Orlando Weekly

Economic development experts debate whether the event's host city will walk away a winner.

January 29, 2007 - AP via Fort Worth Star Telegram

Supporters of the proposed $300 million Panama City-Bay County International Airport -- including the well-heeled St. Joe company -- talk of economic development. Opponents call the facility the "Airport to Nowhere."

January 18, 2007 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A shantytown set up to protest Miami's housing crisis is winning over neighbors and has become a "warm community."

January 17, 2007 - The New York Times

Historic streetcars are on a comeback in the USA. Cheaper than light rail, they also are an asset in encouraging reinvestment in older parts of downtowns as illustrated by Tampa's 2.5 mile line that connects neighborhoods.

January 11, 2007 - USA Today

Six years ago Andres Duany helped craft a new 20 year masterplan for the City of Sarasota, Florida, which prides itself on being a city with a small town feel. This week he returns to gauge the city's progress.

January 10, 2007 - Bradenton Herald

Naples, Florida is a "poster child" for the speculative frenzy that helped drive up housing costs in the Sunshine State and elsewhere. New research indicates a higher level of speculative buying in the U.S. than previously thought.

January 9, 2007 - The Wall Street Journal

The domestic diva Martha Stewart is putting her stamp on a New Urbanist style community in Central Florida.

January 5, 2007 - The Orlando Sentinel

Residents of Briny Breeze, a 43-acre incorporated town of trailer homes the hugs the Atlantic Ocean between Miami and Palm Beach, are considering accepting an offer of $510 million from a developer.

January 3, 2007 - Associated Press via Gainsville Sun

A broad and controversial watershed protection plan for Florida's Miami-Dade County was released recently. It calls for a time extension on the county's urban development boundary to 2025 to help protect the area's water quality.

January 3, 2007 - The Miami Herald