Back to Articles List

From:

James Murley, director of the Center for Urban & Environmental Solutions at Florida Atlantic University in Fort Lauderdale, attended an event on a subject dear to his organization on Thursday when the economic-development agencies of Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties held their first-ever summit to promote regionalism.

Q: What does the center do?

A: The center's been here for 30 years. You could say that we have matured with South Florida because we've always dealt with the impacts of growth. We research growth-management issues to create livable communities. Our latest report is called Regional Shift -- South Florida in Transition, a report card on where the region shows gains and losses in key areas such as transportation and education since 2001.

We also assist public officials on government and growth issues, including designing redistricting plans and providing peer-review studies to keep consultants on track for big projects like the South Miami-Dade Watershed Study, one of biggest of its kind in scale.

A new initiative deals with coastal and marine policies. No one was working on policies specifically dealing with, say, the local marine industry and its needs and benefits.

Q: Tell me more about the coastal and marine projects.

A: The marine industry -- outside of boat retailers and such -- is like the agriculture business in that they're both dependent on geography.

As more waterfront residential development occurs, the marine industry is competing for space on the New River, Miami River, Intracoastal Waterway, canals. Yet the industry is an important local economic component.

We're also helping Broward and Palm Beach counties complete their manatee-protection programs. Miami-Dade's is finished, but the other counties are behind.

Q: How was the latest report card on regionalism received?

A: Mostly positive. But we aren't the only ones promoting regionalism. The South Florida and Treasure Coast regional planning councils, the Regional Transportation Agency and others are strong regional supporters.

We define the South Florida region differently than is commonly understood today. We see it stretching from Key West in Monroe County north to include Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties. Now, is Indian River ready to be identified with Miami-Dade and Broward? Or vice versa? Not yet, but we think they are linked.

Q: How so?

A: Because everybody's moving northward. Hey, Gloria Estefan is buying property in Vero Beach. Wayne Huizenga is developing there. St. Lucie already has the corner on all the affordable housing down to Palm Beach County. St. Lucie someday will be the largest city there. It's annexing land at 15-square-mile clips. What we have here is coming their way.

Q: What can be done to promote thinking and acting like a region?

A: The counties already work together in the Everglades cleanup project. We're acting more regionally on transportation issues. The counties are going together to San Francisco to pitch this area.

The state should identify and remove the things -- rules, competitive projects -- that create barriers between the counties and offer incentives for regional cooperation.

At the summit, a consultant from Cleveland offered this suggestion: Sports teams don't really provide any economic benefits to a community, but what they can do is create mutual identification and cohesion, a sort of regional loyalty.

Herald Editorial Board member Kathleen Krog prepared this report

Back to Articles List