Case Study 4

Land Use Deliberative Discussion with Sustainable Living Series in Florida

By Holly Abeels and Alicia Betancourt

Florida’s growing population is expected to double the 2005 estimate of 17 million to 33.7 million people by 2070 (1000 Friends of Florida, 2019). The additional inhabitants will need homes, shopping areas, and jobs in addition to schools, roads, clean water, and food. The expansion of infrastructure to serve the growing population will need to take place while supporting, maintaining, and protecting existing communities and natural ecosystems.

Along Florida’s coast, balancing the needs of the future is particularly challenging, since a variety of interests collide. The monetary value of the land with a spectacular view drives up the price and limits access. As sea levels and storm frequencies change, coastlines are more susceptible to erosion and shoreline migration, which can interfere with endangered sea turtle nesting habitat and threaten personal property. Most people care about all these things, of course, but decisions about land use will prioritize one over others. To better understand how Floridians feel about local land-use issues, Extension and Sea Grant agents conducted concern-collecting interviews with residents. Information from these interviews was used to develop materials that can be used for town hall meetings, deliberative discussions, and local working groups. A land-use discussion guide was created and piloted with the participants of the Sustainable Living Series.

Audience and Community

The participants in the Sustainable Living Series were already interested in sustainability and wanted to learn more about how to be leaders within their communities. The participants primarily lived in three Florida counties—Brevard, Monroe, and Seminole—and faced a variety of land-use concerns that could be addressed through a deliberative forum.

CIVIC Activities

On the last meeting of the seven-week course, the land-use discussion guide was presented and discussed. The goal of the discussion was to hear participants’ perspectives and opinions on the actions they thought should be taken and to learn of any additional actions that they would consider under each option. This information would be useful to help the CIVIC team revise the issue guide. But a secondary objective was to empower these community members to consider the value of engaging in land-use decisions. The first option, “Develop our community while protecting our quality of life,” generated a variety of comments about the economic value of land, and that a property has multiple values. They discussed how greenspace doesn’t offer tax revenue but could demonstrate benefits if the community steps forward and gets involved with protecting the natural area. They discussed the need to hold local government accountable for how land is used. One person said, “if it’s really just economics, how much do you spend on landscaping?”

The second option, “Develop to support and enhance community vitality,” led a few participants to support revitalizing urban areas instead of building new structures at the edges of town. They discussed the cost of rezoning and whether that influences the decision to improve or tear down and rebuild. They brainstormed who has the power to control policy and thought that some environmental organizations could partner with chambers of commerce and other business organizations that have the money and influence. Many expressed frustrations, and one person said “How can citizens speak to this when they are busy? They don’t have time to study this!” In response, a participant said, “It requires vigilance because the status quo is so easy.”

The third option, “Enable the community to understand and engage in the community planning process,” resonated with participants who noted that the people who are involved are from a small, nonrepresentative slice of our community (retired, often wealthy). People need to get engaged early in the decision process. “As a citizen, I’m still so clueless about how things get funded.” Another added, “Voices of the marginalized occupy so few seats.” One person said, “Someone has to learn the process to share with others. People are interested, they just need to know where to go.” Another relayed, “It truly all comes down to relationships.”

During the discussion, participants quickly became frustrated with the narrow focus of the three options, but these options also generated significant discussion. Because participants were from different communities in Florida, they did not share the same experience although they had similar environmental concerns about new development. Time was spent deliberating the merits of each option and extended time was spent discussing how and when the community can get involved in land-use decisions. Many felt frustrated with local government practices of having already made land-use decisions without much, if any, community input. Some felt that developers often get rules bent in their favor and, unless a large enough mass of people speak up, the elected leaders tend to support the development over environmental concerns. Many agreed that community awareness of land-use decisions often comes too late to change the trajectory of that decision. Participants discussed ways to track and follow local land use decisions. On reflection, one participant said, “[it] takes time to build community and trust … unwinding our pace and challenging the powers that be.” Another reinforced the nature of deliberation: “listening, connecting to others, then engaging in dialogue.”

Outcomes

Individual participants were aware of the limitations and barriers to participation in land use decisions. Collectively they brainstormed ways to overcome those barriers. This activity shed light on the lack of transparency in land-use planning and increased the participants’ determination to address these issues. Participants increased their knowledge of the issue and its relationship with other environmental concerns.

Conclusion

This program increased community capacity both through increasing Extension’s capacity to serve the community and by empowering residents to become more engaged. Communities are often plagued with complex issues that have no clear solution and often lack effective community engagement. Bringing citizens together to identify solutions can motivate citizens to participate in the democratic process and can lead to collective action but the issue must be seen to be solvable. Finally, deliberative issue forums can help communities identify solutions; therefore, increasing community capacity.

References

1000 Friends of Florida. 2019. How will Florida grow by the year 2070? Retrieved November 6, 2023, from https://1000fof.org/how-will-florida-grow-by-the-year-2070/.