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By JOANNA ''COOKIE'' KENNEDY
© St. Petersburg Times, published August 13, 2001
What is "smart growth" and how does this idea affect all of us in Florida?
Smart growth is essentially a concept to rethink how people live. It is an approach to the future that supports the vision of people living in prosperous, close-knit communities, with good schools, open spaces and convenient access to public transit.
It addresses the inevitability of growth in population and development through innovative planning that can lead to significant improvements in our quality of life, protect our environment and revitalize our communities at the same time.
For some in Pinellas County, the concept of smart growth is increasingly familiar. Several cities along the gulf beaches recently have engaged in visioning sessions to improve their understanding of the desires of residents and how they see the future in their cities.
In a number of public service arenas, it is apparent our needs are changing. We wrestle with all-too-obvious water shortages, infrastructure hazards and public transportation nightmares. Smart growth encompasses these issues as well as fixing up schools and roads, and funding water and sewer improvements.
The concept of smart growth comes from Maryland Gov. Parris Glendening. Today, Glendening leads the pack with legislative initiatives that discourage urban sprawl, a primary goal of smart growth, by denying state road and school money when new developments are built in the countryside.
A particularly interesting idea, which lends itself to some thought here in Florida, would be an Office of Smart Growth. Glendening explains that this is an information center where people from local government and other agencies would come to learn how to incorporate smart growth into their proposals. This center would coordinate local and statewide development and empower local communities by providing design and implementation assistance. The idea as a whole is to preserve our cities and our environment.
Rather than being simply another of the many issues we need to tackle as a community, smart growth is a far-reaching and multilayered idea for anticipating and intelligently planning for growth locally, countywide and statewide. It is an approach to future development and planning that can significantly affect our quality of life and economic prosperity.
Here in Pinellas, cities are encouraged to implement projects that will benefit the area as a whole. One example is The Economic Development of Gulf Boulevard, a plan initiated by the gulf beach communities and Pinellas County to shape our future. The plan consists of installing underground utilities, fixing drainage problems and rejuvenating sections of Gulf Boulevard.
During the spring, the Florida Legislature approved $500,000 to put together a model that will be used to determine how much a new development will cost. The model then will estimate the amount that development will produce in taxes. This is the first step the state is taking toward the idea of smart growth.
Next session, the Legislature will address school concurrency, which focuses on slowing down development in areas where schools are crowded and addressing the need for additional schools in residential areas. The thought is to examine the public school system and better relate it to population growth as we look to the future.
While almost everyone will agree that government planning for smart growth may be long overdue, it is not the exclusive role of government. If it is to be successful, it must reflect the basic values and cultural needs of us all.
There is no denying Florida's appeal. People will continue to be drawn here, just as each of us has been drawn here and captivated by the wonders of our state. Pinellas County is a prime example of the irresistible nature of our environment.
If we are going to be visionaries, then perhaps we should consider the opportunities smart growth offers.
As Charles Kettering, a visionary of the 20th century, once stated, "My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my life there."
Think about it.
- Joanna "Cookie" Kennedy is a city commissioner in Indian Rocks Beach.