Turning The Tide Of Livability In Charlotte County, Florida

Beginning in 1992, Charlotte County went from a community that promoted urban sprawl to a community with a vision and policy toward livability. This was done by linking transportation, land use, the environment, recreation, tax policy, and urban services planning and implementation. Charlotte County, the City of Punta Gorda, and the Charlotte County-Punta Gorda Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) combined their individual long range (comprehensive) planning efforts into one public participation and policy development initiative. The agencies sought a variety of partners to implement their policies, such as the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Department of Transportation, the Trust for Public Lands, Chambers of Commerce, among others. Turning the tide of livability required, not only partnerships but, a variety of innovative tools. These innovations earned awards from diverse groups such as 1000 Friends of Florida, Solid Waste Association of North America, Association of MPOs, and Federal Highway Administration. The tools included large-scale environmental land acquisition, alternative transportation modes, agricultural protection, designated urban infill areas, a platted lands strategy, mixed-use development, quality of life improvements, and community redevelopment efforts. The MPO supported changes in land use, alternative modes, and other services by providing both technical analysis and public involvement programs. For example, alternative buildout scenario analysis showed eventual savings of billions of dollars for road and bridge improvements, tremendous reduction of emissions, and other public benefits with changes in local land use policy. These policy changes were adopted and are being implemented. Adopted strategies have redirected funds to improve livability in Charlotte County’s urban areas that would have supported sprawl development under earlier plans. Citizens have responded enthusiastically to their voice being heard, to tangible improvements in their neighborhoods, and to what the future holds.