Florida's Regions
In the 21st century, Florida’s communities are facing new and exciting challenges, many of which transcend local and county boundaries and are best addressed at the regional level. Population growth, workforce education, natural resources, housing costs, and traffic congestion must be managed effectively to maintain the high quality of life Floridians have always known and to remain economically competitive in the global market. From the southern tip of the peninsula to the state capitol in the north, regional identities are emerging as government, business, and civic leaders look to the future and seek innovative approaches for managing new opportunities and challenges.
Florida is projected to surpass New York as the third largest state in the nation within the next ten years. Success consists of growing larger while also becoming more sustainable and prosperous. Some regions have started measuring progress toward success through the use of indicators. In CUES most recent indicators report, Charting the Course: Where is South Florida Heading?, special sections are designated to comparing Florida’s regions on a few basic indicators to assess the strengths and weaknesses of each in relation to each other, the state, and the nation, and provide a base for complementary growth that maximizes the state’s potential. Click here for regional comparison data.
To further the work of Florida’s regions in measuring their progress, CUES convened the Florida Indicators Network (FIN) to share ideas and build cross-region relationships. The FIN, now in its third year, is working to establish a common set of indicators to measure progress throughout the state.
