By Gil Smart
September 23, 2016
TC Palm
There’s a new report out projecting that by 2070, Florida’s population will hit 33.7 million. That is, 15 million more people than were here in 2010.
Right. And you thought U.S. 1 was a parking lot now.
The “Florida 2070” report, prepared for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and 1000 Friends of Florida by the University of Florida’s GeoPlan Center, puts the Treasure Coast in the “central Florida” region — and projects this region will see some of the most growth. Our little quiet piece of the Sunshine State may get significantly less quiet.
The question is how we go from here to there — and what it looks like when we arrive.
And that’s what the “Florida 2070” report is all about: How the state can absorb all these new residents, yet limit the impact on the land so we can still have our wild spaces.
According to the report, Martin County’s population is expected to hit 216,192 by 2070, up 32.3 percent from 2010. Indian River County’s expected to count 253,898 residents by 2070, a 45.6 percent increase.
And St. Lucie County’s population could more than double. In 2010, there were just under 278,000 residents. By 2070, that’s expected to balloon to 644,595.
The report produced a series of maps showing what Florida counties look like now, what they’ll look like in 2070 if current development patterns continue and what they could look like if they commit to higher densities, saving more land. The 2070 “as is” map looks like a sea of red, developed areas.
But with more infill and redevelopment, a commitment to building “mixed use” developments that incorporate homes, shops, schools and offices, and by channeling growth into areas that can more easily accommodate it — much of that red could stay green.
To continue reading the article and to view the graphics on growth, please click on the following link:
http://www.tcpalm.com/story/opinion/columnists/gil-smart/2016/09/23/gil-smart-development-florida-2070/90777170/