FLORIDA PLANNING A publication of the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association
HEALTH AT HOME & AWAY - Summer 2022
florida.planning.org
Planning for Public Health
CANCER AND CRITICAL ILLNESS RECOVERY By Dara Osher, AICP, and Carmen Rasnick, MBA, CNU-A EDITORS NOTE: We asked two members of the APA Florida Editorial Team to share their stories about recent health battles. You will be inspired, not only by their resiliency but also by how, as planners, they are using their experience to help change how planners approach public health planning.
DARA’S STARTLING DIAGNOSIS
In November 2021, days after turning 31, I found out the lump I had felt in my left breast in August was indeed earlystage breast cancer, specifically invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). This means the cancerous tumor had already penetrated beyond the duct where it grew, allowing the potential to spread. I soon learned that IDC is the most common form of breast cancer, though there are 9 different types. The biopsy I had had days prior to my diagnosis revealed that my cancer was fed to a strong degree (87%+) by continued on page 4
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
10
The Miami Heat: Preparing Miami-Dade County for Extreme Heat in an Already Hot Climate
13
Folding Transportation Into Orlando's Strategic Health Plan
14
Getting the Nurses on Boards
15
Elections for APA Florida Statewide Officers Now Open
16
Travel with a Planner's Eye
21
Florida Planning Conference 2022: Featured Speakers
OTHER FEATURES President’s Message - p. 3 Member Q&A - p. 24 Planners on the Move - p. 25 Consultants Directory - p. 29 Events - back page
The Florida Chapter of APA provides statewide leadership in the development of sustainable communities by advocating excellence in planning, providing professional development for its members, and working to protect and enhance the natural and built environments.
[APA FLORIDA] KEY CONTACTS - EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Name
Phone
APA Florida Executive Committee President Wiatt Bowers, AICP
904-363-8488
president@floridaplanning.org
Immediate Past President
Laura Everitt, AICP, Esq., LEED GA
813-327-5450
pastpresident@floridaplanning.org fx
President-Elect
Whit Blanton, FAICP
727-464-8712
presidentelect@floridaplanning.org
Treasure Coast Section
Kori Benton, AICP
727-462-2518
treasurecoast@floridaplanning.org
Student Representative
Bob Bernhart
941-504-1852
students@floridaplanning.org t
VP-Professional Development
Henry Bittaker, FAICP
561-523-0687
profdevelopment@floridaplanning.org f
Secretary
Lara Bouck, AICP, PE
407-481-5672
secretary@floridaplanning.org
San Felasco Section
Juan Castillo
352-393-8698
sanfelasco@floridaplanning.org
Sun Coast Section
Katrina Corcoran, AICP
suncoast@floridaplanning.org
VP Membership/Outreach
Ennis Davis, AICP
904-396-5727
membership@floridaplanning.org
University Liaison
Laura Dedenbach, AICP, Ph.D.
352-294-1493
university@floridaplanning.org
VP Communications
Melissa Dickens, AICP
813-273-3774
communications@floridaplanning.org
Gold Coast Section
Fabian De La Espriella, AICP
786-245-5202
goldcoast@floridaplanning.org
Capital Area Section
Macy Falcon, AICP
850-380-2812
capitalarea@floridaplanning.org
EPG Representative
Sofia Garantiva, AICP
813-276-8330
ypg@floridaplanning.org
Promised Lands Section
Jason Green, AICP
promisedlands@floridaplanning.org
Broward Section
Daniel Keester-O'Mills, AICP
954-786-5541
broward@floridaplanning.org
Heart of Florida Section
Laura Lockwood-Herrscher, AICP, CPM
863-860-5105
heartoffl@floridaplanning.org
Treasurer
Allara Mills Gutcher, AICP
850-319-9180
treasurer@floridaplanning.orgaf
Orlando Metro Section
Luis Nieves-Ruiz, FAICP
407-245-0300
orlandometro@floridaplanning.org
VP Section Affairs
Tony Palermo, AICP
239-321-7926
sectionaffairs@floridaplanning.org
Atlantic Coast Section
Brad Parrish, AICP
321-567-3776
atlanticcoast@floridaplanning.org
VP of Continuing Education
Jill Quigley, AICP
954-641-5680
certmaintenance@floridaplanning.org
First Coast Section
Ray Spofford, AICP
904-265-3189
firstcoast@floridaplanning.org
VP Conference Services
Thuy Turner, AICP, LEED AP BD+C
954-610-1633
conferencesvcs@floridaplanning.org
Emerald Coast Section
Randy Woodruff, AICP
850-689-7347
emeraldcoast@floridaplanning.org
Executive Director
Julia “Alex“ Magee
850-201-3272
fapa@floridaplanning.org
Ad. Assistant/Bookkeeper
Suzie Gray
850-201-3272
adminbk@floridaplanning.org
Communications Manager
Patti Shea
850-201-3272
staff@floridaplanning.org
Intern
Kylie Pope
850-201-3272
floridaplanningstaff@gmail.com
Legislative Representative
Lester Abberger
850-524-2779
lesterabberger@nettally.com
Graphic Design (Consultant)
Summer Taylor
727-452-2416
summer@exaktmarketing.com
All other inquiries, contact APA Florida at 850-201-3272 or e-mail fapa@floridaplanning.org. 2 Summer 2022 / Florida Planning
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE I’ve been thinking a lot over the past few months about the increasing divisiveness in many of our communities and our public discourse. However, I am uplifted by and thankful for our organization and the efforts that planners throughout Florida are making to build vibrant, healthy, equitable, and resilient communities. We are leaders in moving our communities and our profession forward. Speaking of healthy communities, that is the focus of this issue. There are numerous articles framed around this theme, and we even have our regular summer Travel with a Planner’s Eye (pp. 16) feature focused on healthy communities. As many of you know I travel often, having visited Mexico, Germany, and Israel so far this year, and have plans to travel to Sweden and Norway this fall. I take hundreds of pictures of buildings, streets, cycle tracks, train stations, public spaces, etc., on every trip. I’m betting that I’m not the only one who does this and that we could populate our APA Florida social media with pictures of great places regularly. So, as many of us are getting out and traveling again, keep your planner’s eye open – and share your photos with us.
We have excellent candidates running this year, and I am confident our chapter will continue thriving for many years to come. This issue also includes information on our chapter elections (pp. 15). APA Florida members elect our organization’s officers every two years. I want to offer my sincere gratitude to those who have served in the past, who are serving currently, and those who have expressed interest in serving. We have excellent candidates running this year, and I am confident our chapter will continue thriving for many years to come. As I write this article, registration is underway for the 2022 Florida Planning Conference in Orlando (pp 21). Almost 650 of your fellow planners have already registered and we expect 750+ to join us, taking advantage of the plethora of opportunities to learn, share, and network. I encourage those of you attending to be present at our annual members’ meeting, which takes place on early evening of Tuesday, Sept. 6. We will be voting on several documents during this meeting, including our legislative platform and the chapter’s budget. We will also be recognizing many of our volunteer leaders and longest-active members. (pp 22) Please take note that there will be no onsite registration this year, so make sure you register before Aug. 26. As with our conference last year, we are requiring that all attendees sign a COVID waiver. We are also monitoring CDC guidance, and if there are updated recommendations regarding masking, event crowd sizes, etc. we may update our plans accordingly. Finally, I wanted to let you all know that our executive director, Alex Magee, will be retiring at the end of the year. Alex started working with APA Florida in 2007 and has spent the last 15 years helping support and build our chapter leaders. We have identified an ad hoc committee to assist with the Executive Director search, and we hope to advertise the position in the early fall. If you have any suggestions that our committee should consider, please contact me. FPC22 will be the completion of a circle for Alex, as her first conference with us was also in Orlando. Please join us in Orlando as we celebrate with Alex!
Wiatt Bowers, AICP Summer 2022 / Florida Planning 3
[CANCER & CRITICAL] ILLNESS RECOVERY
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the estrogen and, to a lesser extent, the progesterone in my body. In the breast cancer world, we call this estrogen receptor/ progesterone receptor-positive (ER/PR+). I was negative for HER2, another protein in the body that promotes the growth of cancer cells. HER2+ breast cancer is far more difficult to treat and guarantees chemotherapy as part of the treatment plan. My treatment plan evolved over two months, though it felt like years. It was to be informed by genetic testing to determine if I had a hereditary mutation for breast cancer, and another test, called OncotypeDX, to determine how receptive my cancer would be to chemotherapy treatment. As I waited, my oncologist immediately put me on the medication Tamoxifen, which basically tricks cancer cells into bonding with fake estrogen which, ideally, does not allow the tumor to grow. In January 2022, I learned that I had no genetic mutations for cancer and that my cancer type would not benefit from chemotherapy. My treatment plan was finalized: I would have a lumpectomy to remove the 1.9 centimeter tumor from my left breast and the first few lymph nodes the fluid in my breast drains to, to determine if the cancer had spread through my lymphatic system. In total, I had four lymph nodes removed, followed by 20 treatments of radiation therapy. My first lumpectomy revealed that there had been no spread, but my surgeon did not get clear margins, meaning a margin of healthy tissue surrounding the tumor. One of my margins had enough microscopic cancer cells remaining that, two weeks to the day later, I had a second surgery to clear them out. PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT It is not easy to receive a diagnosis such as this at any age, but the privilege of my environment has had a significant impact on my recovery and personal health maintenance. As a multimodal planner, mobility enthusiast, avid international traveler, and now a young cancer survivor, it is difficult for me to ignore the impacts of the physical environment on my quality of life. I believe that the ability to safely use our bodies to transport ourselves where we need and want to go is of vital importance to public health. For decades, we have been building car-oriented communities and cities, at the expense of shaded sidewalks, connected bicycle networks, dense and walkable land uses, and quality mass transit. While personal vehicles provide a crucial mobility option, especially in Florida, it is unfortunate that the ability to live somewhere walkable, bikeable, and with quality infrastructure has become a privilege reserved for those who likely own a personal vehicle and are not reliant on other modes for transportation. In the areas that have denser urban neighborhoods, mobility is less restricted than in suburban areas but that does not mean the maintenance of historic infrastructure has remained a priority. Also, living in suburban areas does not always equate to easy access (I would know, I grew up in the suburbs of northeast Broward County). 4 Summer 2022 / Florida Planning
Some to no shade on sidewalks makes it difficult for slow strolls around any neighborhood.
More shady parks are needed, with benches, to help residents of all ages, abilities and ailments enjoy their community.
Jacksonville redlining map shows neighborhoods citywide that are at risk, as Dara explains below. continued on page 5
[CANCER & CRITICAL] ILLNESS RECOVERY
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It is essential to also invest in crucial amenities that make walking, biking, and taking transit (which starts with a walking or biking trip) safe and enjoyable, such as ensuring there is adequate shade from the elements and enough parks and green space in the vicinity to reduce urban heat indexes, especially in the summer. Every day I take walks around my neighborhood, sometimes twice a day. When you have surgery and/or when lymph nodes are removed, it is one of the few activities that you can do. For months, I had limited mobility in my left arm and could not lift weights. I am still trying to understand what lymphedema is and what it means to be at risk for it for the rest of my life. I walk for my mental health, to relieve stress, for transportation or to access transit, to take in the beauty of my environment, and to achieve crucial blood flow and movement to reduce the likelihood of developing blood clots, a higher risk for me now. I live in the urban neighborhood area of Riverside in Jacksonville, close to downtown. To the east of me are several square miles of urban neighborhoods bisected by commercial strips every few blocks. To the southeast is the St. Johns River, to the north is a rail corridor and Interstate-10, and to the west is the US-17 / Roosevelt Blvd ramp to get on Interstate-10. The historical decisions made in urban design, land use, and transportation are clearly demarcated in the built environment here. HISTORIC DECISIONS IMPACT TODAY’S BUILT ENVIRONMENT In 1933, the U.S. Government created the Home Ownership Loan Corporation (HOLC) to help Americans purchase homes and help stimulate economic recovery after the Great Depression. Cities and communities were mapped out based on financial and racial considerations to determine lending risk for home mortgages. Low-risk neighborhoods (labeled A and colored green or labeled B and colored yellow) had no difficulty getting access to financing but areas predominantly home to black and minority communities were redlined and deemed “high risk” (labeled D and colored in red). Banks would not lend to the people in these areas, which led to the devaluation of land in these neighborhoods. The redlining map of Jacksonville from 1937 (see Figure xx) reflects this historical decision-making. The area circled in orange shows where the Interstate-95 corridor was built, bifurcating black neighborhoods where land was the least expensive, thanks to redlining. The yellow circle represents the East-West alignment of the Interstate 10 corridor, which is currently being widened from 4 to 5 lanes in each direction. During urban renewal, devalued black and minority housing and green spaces were paved over for parking lots to support
commuting and commerce needs. Downtowns across the United States were carved up by high-speed roads and ramps designed to funnel white folks from the suburbs to and from their jobs in the urban core. Jacksonville’s Downtown is still recovering from this historical decision-making. This is obvious to anyone with a keen eye when you venture from one part of town to another and especially when driving, walking, or biking around the gridded street networks northeast and northwest of downtown. These areas are also the ones that have food deserts, low vehicle ownership, high crime rates, low home ownership, and lower median household incomes than many other parts of the city. I live in a part of the city, circled in blue in the redlining map above, that is situated between neighborhoods with no risk and some risk. One of the least pleasant aspects of where I live is the uncomfortable proximity to US-17 / Roosevelt Blvd, the highspeed roadway that separates the neighborhoods of Riverside and Avondale from Murray Hill. The “best” areas, colored green in the map above, were never subject to large infrastructure projects that divided communities. The number of trees and parks (big and small); the old but somewhat maintained nature of the neighborhood street network; the amount of shade; the walkable access to coffee shops, bars, restaurants, pharmacies, and more reflects the systematic favoring of and investment in white communities over black communities. CRITICAL ILLNESS - RESOURCES When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I sought out community in digital spaces, where I have always felt most comfortable expressing myself. For me, that community came from the Breast Cancer Support and Information online forum that is housed on Reddit, a user-based digital discussion platform. The individuals who responded to my posts, answered my questions, and gave me a sense of hope and solidarity after my diagnosis have absolutely changed my life and are some of the most accepting, kind, and loving persons I have known. Historic Decisions and the Built Environment Impact Public Health It is impossible for me to share my story without also highlighting the historical inequities and decision-making that have made the lives of so many more difficult. The ability to walk safely and comfortably around the low-speed, low-stress street network of my neighborhood has been key to my ability to recover—mentally, emotionally, and physically—from the trauma of a critical illness diagnosis. Walking allows me to take in my community on the human scale, decompress from my anxious thoughts, carve out continued on page 6
Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). (2021). Introduction to Redlining: What is “Redlining” and how has it impacted Jacksonville? Retrieved from: https://www.lisc.org/jacksonville/regional-stories/introduction-to-redlining-what-is-redlining-and-how-has-it-impacted-jacksonville/.
1
Summer 2022 / Florida Planning 5
[CANCER & CRITICAL] ILLNESS RECOVERY
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space for myself, and enjoy nature while listening to music, allowing my body and mind to wander. This summer has been incredibly hot, but my health still calls for walking. My walks have shifted to the early morning and late evening, but sometimes my mental health demands mid-day movement. Shade and sidewalks make for a far more pleasant experience in the outdoors but are severely lacking, even where I live. There is an undeniable connection between mobility, access, and public health, and we as planners, and as human beings, must shape the decision-making of today to promote comfortable, shaded, safe walking and biking environments for everyone.
CARMEN’S ENDOMETRIOSIS AND SURGICAL RECOVERY A HIDDEN DISEASE For two decades I unknowingly battled a hidden disease that was damaging my internal organs, causing musculoskeletal issues, and would ultimately end in infertility and early onset menopause. Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 individuals assigned female at birth, which equates to an estimated 200 million women worldwide . Because very little is known about the disease, many symptoms are dismissed or misdiagnosed as gastrointestinal or reproductive issues, and sometimes cancer. This results in a 7 to 9-year delay in diagnosis for those suffering from endometriosis . Meanwhile, the disease rages on destroying vital organs and negatively impacting the life of the patient.
Source: Anti-Discrimination Center
6 Summer 2022 / Florida Planning
Statistics indicate that women living with endometriosis lose 6.3 hours of work a week because of the disease . The only way to put endometriosis in remission is to perform surgical excision of the tissue, lesions, and adhesions associated with the disease. In July 2020, I underwent surgery to remove a 10 cm mass on one of my ovaries. A high CA-125 test pointed to cancer, but the oncologist was skeptical due to the presence of inflammation in my abdomen. My recovery was short-lived in that nine months later I was admitted to the hospital for internal bleeding and what doctors thought was an abscess in my abdomen. An MRI diagnosed DIE or deep infiltrating endometriosis present throughout my entire abdomen binding organs together and freezing all the muscles in my pelvic area. In August 2021, expert surgeons at the Center for Endometriosis Care in Atlanta performed a five-hour surgery to excise endometriosis from my diaphragm, muscles, and vital organs throughout my abdomen, and removed an 11 cm endometrioma (mass) that fused my remaining ovary to my intestine and ureter. This surgery resulted in complete infertility and surgical menopause at the age of 37, but it allowed me to keep my left kidney and eliminate the risk of losing part of my intestines to the disease. PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT Part of my choosing a career around planning was to advocate for better use of the built environment that encourages holistic and organic interaction at all stages of life. Personally, I’ve always been a very active person who loves to swim, bike, surf, hike, and run while also feeling at home in an urban environment. continued on page 7
2 ,2,3
Society for Women’s Health Research
[CANCER & CRITICAL] ILLNESS RECOVERY
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As my disease progressed, I was unable to participate in any physical activity other than walking due to chronic pain and inflammation. At times, even walking was a challenge due to the debilitating effects of the disease. Making matters even worse was the fact that I was hitting the pinnacle of the disease during the pandemic. Endometriosis is an inflammatory disease, and I could not subject myself to any of the risks of COVID without adding serious complications to my health and wellbeing. This meant I had to find places to walk with ample open space for social distancing. Shortly before my first surgery, my husband and I moved from Winter Park to downtown Orlando. Much like Dara, we wanted to find a location that was walkable and provided multimodal transit options. We found a home in the historically disadvantaged neighborhood of Parramore on the west side of downtown. While we were grateful to be in a more centrally located and built environment, we experienced challenges finding sufficient access to park/open space within a 5-, 10-, or 15-minute walk from our home that allowed me to walk and remain safe from exposure to COVID. We do have one small park close to our home, but it serves as a base camp for homeless individuals utilizing services at the Salvation Army intake across the street. Additionally, it borders one of the busiest roadways in Central Florida, Colonial Drive/SR 50, with no separation or protection from the roadway. This meant my husband and I had to drive to parks/open space areas on the east side of downtown Orlando. We acknowledge that we have the privilege and access to a car to be able to drive to another area of town to utilize parks/open spaces, whereas many families in our neighborhood do not. While we do not live in an area that was redlined by one of HOLC’s Residential Security maps that Dara highlighted, in 1924 the Orlando City Council approved two “Negro Zones” on the west side of Division Avenue in downtown Orlando just two blocks south of the street we live on. Much like Dara points out in her assessment of Jacksonville, the area of Orlando that I live in has been separated from the Central Business District and east side of Orlando by several lines of demarcation including Interstate-4 and Division Avenue. Impacts of this historic decision-making are still seen and felt in Parramore today. They are manifested in ways such as lack of access to parks/ open spaces and grocery stores, low vehicle ownership, high crime rates, and low rates of home ownership. Walking and access to nature are vital to public health at any stage, but these two aspects were extremely important before and after my surgeries. Dara points out in her experience the importance of walking after surgery. In my experience, if I could approach these intense surgeries by having integrated walking and peaceful meditation into the process, my recovery was more productive. More importantly, the directive provided by medical professionals following surgeries such as these is to WALK, WALK, WALK!!!
Photos Above: One of Carmen's healing spaces, Cherokee Park in downtown Orlando.
continued on page 8
Summer 2022 / Florida Planning 7
[CANCER & CRITICAL] ILLNESS RECOVERY
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Walking assists in recovery, decreases the onset of scar tissue in the core/abdomen, and protects against life-threatening complications such as blood clots which are a very common and sometimes fatal side effect of abdominal surgery. In the weeks and months following my surgeries, I would walk laps on the hour-every hour in our nearly 100-year shotgun-style home. In the evenings when it was cooler outside, my husband would drive me to the east side of town and we would check several parks to see which one was less crowded so I could walk on softer surfaces, take in nature, and breathe fresh air. We frequented Langford Park, Lake Davis Park, Cherokee Park, and Al Coith Park. What made these parks vital to my recovery were the long stretches of soft grass that I could walk in until I got tired. Access to shade and benches were also important as I would tire very easily and need to rest before walking again. As I advanced in my walking exercise, Lake Davis provided a nice, even sidewalk with many benches to stop at around the lake. The beauty and tranquility of these spaces should not be underestimated, as they provided a distraction from the overwhelming emotions I was processing resulting from my medical trauma. It was important for me to have access to park spaces close to home as I could not endure car rides for more than 7-10 minutes. To ride in a car post-surgery, I would need several pillows to decrease strain on my core and substantial help getting in and out. Each time we drove to a park on the east side of downtown, I would grow frustrated because of the process to ride in a car and the drive itself. This sparked analysis in my mind of how important it is for one’s health to have access to parks/open spaces without having to undertake car rides, parking, and other transportation barriers. As we work to remedy the damaging patterns of outdated zoning codes and discrimination, it is important that we carve out and preserve park/open spaces in our urban environments and neighborhoods. These two articles show that these spaces are not a matter of form or function: but of recovery, healing, and care. CRITICAL ILLNESS - RESOURCES If you or anyone you know is struggling with endometriosis, please refer them to the links below. These physicians and healthcare professionals are qualified to provide proper counseling and treatment of the disease. • Nancy’s Nook Learning Library • The Center for Endometriosis Care • Then Endometriosis Summit Dara Osher, AICP, is a Planner II with Michael Baker International. She can be reached at dara.osher@mbakerintl.com. Carmen Rasnick, MBA, CNU-A, is Fiscal Manager with the City of Orlando. She can be reached at carmen.rasnick@gmail.com.
8 Summer 2022 / Florida Planning
Carmen was lucky enough to have shaded parks and paths, such as Langford Park, to help her while recovering.
David A. Theriaque, Esquire S. Brent Spain, Esquire Benjamin R. Kelley, Esquire Trial • Appellate Planning and Land Use Law • Administrative Comprehensive Plans • Land Development Codes Tallahassee Office Telephone: 850.224.7332 dat@theriaquelaw.com Orlando Office Telephone: 407.347.5388 sbs@theriaquelaw.com
www.theriaquelaw.com Summer 2022 / Florida Planning 9
THE MIAMI HEAT
PREPARING MIAMI-DADE COUNTY FOR EXTREME HEAT IN AN ALREADY HOT CLIMATE By Jane Gilbert
Known as the “silent killer,” heatwaves cause more deaths than any other climate-driven natural disaster in the United States, threatening the health and wellbeing of billions of people across the globe. With a population of 2.8 million people in the sub-tropics, heat has always been part of life in South Florida, especially in MiamiDade County. However, as the climate changes and the impacts of heat grow, they are further compounded by other stressors such as historic redlining and disinvestment in minority neighborhoods, urban development, hurricanes, floods, and sea-level rise. We also know extreme heat does not impact people equally – disadvantaged or frontline communities and Black and Hispanic people bear the brunt of the public health impacts. More and more, we are hearing from our residents that heat is impacting them in their daily lives and that the old ways of dealing with it aren’t working as well. In 2020, a group of community-based organizations funded by the Kresge Foundation conducted a series of focus groups and surveys to better understand the issues of greatest concern related to 10 Summer 2022 / Florida Planning
climate change in the lower-income, more marginalized communities of Miami-Dade County. Increasing economic and health risks related to extreme heat and fears of displacement due to climate gentrification were the top two concerns. For that reason, in April 2021, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava appointed me as the world’s first Chief Heat Officer. In conjunction with that landmark announcement, MiamiDade County joined the City Champions for Heat Action (CCHA) initiative, a cornerstone program of the Extreme Heat Resilience Alliance (EHRA). These decisions were made in partnership with the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center – a global team committed to providing one billion people with resilience solutions by 2030. Other EHRA founding members include Athens, Greece, and Freetown, Sierra Leone. Following Miami-Dade’s lead more communities have appointed Chief Heat Officers, including Phoenix and Los Angeles. I am proud to say that our efforts are already proving fruitful. Since I started in my new role, we launched a multi-lingual public awareness campaign in the summer of 2021 to raise awareness about the risks of extreme heat and what people can do to protect themselves and others. The campaign reached more than continued on page 11
[MIAMI] HEATWAVE
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250,000 people locally through social and traditional media, posters in public spaces, and educational programming in summer camps. This year, we are building on that work to elevate it to the level of hurricane preparedness outreach that is done every year. We’ve learned that heat-related deaths are largely preventable. That’s why our community is investing in an extensive public information campaign focusing on “Heat Season” to explain the risks of extreme heat and let people know what they can do to protect themselves. Heat Season will become part of our community’s vernacular and our residents will all be prepared to recognize and address the signs of heat-related illnesses or stress. We also developed a Climate and Heat Health Toolkit (pdf download) that serves as the overview needed to inform internal and external stakeholders about what can be done to better manage and mitigate extreme heat. This toolkit was deployed through our website and workshops with our non-profit and municipal partners very early on so we could begin addressing the issue right away. Currently, I am co-leading a Climate and Heat Health Task Force with Dr. Cheryl Holder. The Task Force has worked to prioritize short-term actions we can take, and we are also creating a framework for prioritizing future actions and for monitoring progress around extreme heat. To provide input for the planning process, the Task Force contracted Dr. Chris Uejio, an associate professor at Florida State University whose research focuses on how the physical environment impacts human health and well-being, to prepare two reports on extreme heat. The first identified which areas of the County and segments of the population are most vulnerable to heat-related illnesses. The second report estimated the number of excess deaths that occur during times of
(above and below) Jane Gilbert discussing MiamiDade's discussing the county's heat threats.
Planting more sustainable trees is one way the county is combating Heat Season.
extreme heat and correlated excess deaths with different extreme heat conditions. Using Dr. Uejio’s data, the County has formed a better understanding of which neighborhoods and populations are most at risk. The findings of the County’s heat vulnerability assessment can be found at www.miamidade. gov/heat The reports highlight that the locations with the highest heat-related illness rates had hotter urban heat islands, and higher proportions of people who were outdoor workers, indigenous, living in poverty or mobile homes, and living in households with children. The reports also indicated that extreme heat contributes to approximately 34 deaths annually and that “every day” summer conditions instead of rare heatwaves increase the risk of heat-related death. We are relying on the best available data and science, but we are not overlooking the lived experience of our community. Over the course of several months, in partnership with The Miami Foundation through a series of meetings and workshops, we worked to engage diverse groups of stakeholders and the public in the development of a Climate and Heat Health Action Plan. Each workshop had between 60 and 90 stakeholders participating and they were offered in multiple languages to ensure we are planning equitably and holistically. The culmination of the work of the task force and the planning workshops will be the Climate and Heat Health Action plan that will address the policies and initiatives needed to mitigate urban heat islands, protect outdoor workers, and assist people in reducing their energy burdens. The Task Force Report will be available this Summer. Miami-Dade is fast-tracking this work because heat is something that is impacting our people right now, and it is a very clear connection to the other threats we face because of climate change. Like continued on page 30
Summer 2022 / Florida Planning 11
Planning communities for Florida’s future Our team of planners, landscape architects, and civil engineers create places that feel like home.
stantec.com 12 Summer 2022 / Florida Planning
Folding Transportation Into
ORLANDO’S HEALTH STRATEGIC PLAN Lara Bouck, AICP, PE
MetroPlan Orlando’s Health Strategic Plan (completed in January 2022) marks a milestone in tying transportation and community health goals together. The plan explores how transportation planning impacts public health and what the organization can do to improve the health of the Central Florida region. MetroPlan Orlando has ramped up its efforts to consider health in all transportation policies over the last several years, and the Health Strategic Plan builds on these successes. Taking a holistic approach to transportation planning improves the quality of life and promotes better health for everyone in Central Florida. Transportation professionals at MetroPlan Orlando work with health, housing, parks, and other community areas to create healthy, sustainable, inclusive places. Work
on the Health Strategic Plan began by meeting with a group of community health representatives and listening to their expertise and insight on the health priorities of the region. Based on their input, the project team created a unique framework for identifying and addressing transportation-related determinants of health, guiding the agency’s transportation planning efforts to better improve community health. The Health Strategic Plan defines five health-specific strategic goals to incorporate into MetroPlan Orlando’s plans and processes, including: • Supporting Healthy Lifestyles • Implementing Healthy Transportation Infrastructure • Providing a Safe Transportation System • Improving Health Care Access through Transportation • Integrating Health Equity into Transportation Planning To learn more about the Health Strategic Plan visit the MetroPlan Orlando website at: metroplanorlando.org/health. Lara Bouck, AICP, PE, is the Chief Production Engineer for the City of Tampa. Previously, she was the Senior Transportation Engineer for MetroPlan Orlando.
Summer 2022 / Florida Planning 13
Getting the Nurses
ON BOARDS By Patti Shea Over the past two years, nurses have been heralded as first-responder heroes, and rightly so. Nurses are the backbone of any hospital or medical facility as they see first-hand the daily trauma and tragedies from man-made or natural disasters. Nurses represent the largest segment of the healthcare workforce, are considered the most trustworthy of all professions, and play a huge role on the frontlines of care in our schools, hospitals, community health centers, long-term care facilities, and other places. Their perspective and influence should be present at decision-making tables. These are the women and men we need to shape policy and our communities as their experiences and sacrifices can help mitigate or stop future catastrophes. The Nurses on Boards Coalition is committed to increasing nurses’ presence and influence on corporate, health-related, and other boards, panels, and commissions. Since its inception in 2014, the coalition has helped elect or place more than 10,000 nurses on boards nationwide. The unique perspective of nurses can significantly improve public health planning through all peripheries at the local, state, and national levels. AARP co-founded the coalition, along with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and here in the Sunshine State, AARP’s Florida state office has been piloting a program to focus on getting nurses to serve on community and planning boards to advance age-friendly and livable communities policies. Enter APA Florida. In the spring, APA Florida partnered with Nurses on Boards and AARP Florida to host a webinar to explain how the nurses can help planners expand public health options.
NURSES ON BOARDS
Frequently Asked Questions: Are there any restrictions as to the type of role to engage with NOBC to identify nurses? NOBC is flexible, they will assist you in your search for one or more nurses to consider as members of your local boards and/ or relevant local committees such as Arts and Planning, Transportation, Housing, Parks and Recreation, Citizen Engagement Committees, or other groups based on how you are structured and your specific needs. What if the board or committee has its application portal, can we still work with NOBC to identify candidates? Yes, NOBC will direct candidates to your application portal. What information is provided about the nurse candidates? Cover letter (including a summary of their qualifications and experience, and a statement on why they are interested in serving) and biography and/or resume. Does NOBC review candidates before sharing with us? Yes, NOBC staff reviews each applicant’s cover letter and resume to ensure they meet the criteria. Are there any costs associated with engaging with NOBC? No. Our collaboration is in support of our shared goals. Is there a deadline for engaging with NOBC to identify nurses? No, we are all in this for the long term. You can contact NOBC at any time you have a need or interest. What is the first step to starting the process to connect with nurses in my community? Complete there Find a Nurse – American Planning Association (APA) form. For more information, please contact Storm Young, NOBC Operations, Relationships, and Stewardship Administrator, or Laurie Benson, NOBC Executive Director.
14 Summer 2022 / Florida Planning
Election for APA Florida Statewide Officers Now Open It is time to cast your ballot for new officers! This year, we are again participating in APA’s consolidated ballot for chapters and divisions so please carefully read the following instructions. On July 19, APA sent each APA Florida member an email with a link to the ballot. You should have received notice from Survey and Ballot Systems, which contained your unique link to the ballot. If you have not already voted, please make sure you have received the election-specific broadcast email that should have been dated July 19 - 20, 2022. The sending email address is noreply@directvote.net. If you have not received your election email, please get in touch with support@directvote.net. All voting will be done online and only members in good standing will be allowed to vote. Voting will end on Aug. 20, 2022. Three email reminders will be sent to members who have not voted during this time period in case you miss the first one. You will be voting on the chapter slate listed on the right. View the candidate position statement on the ballot site or at florida.planning.org. Please make sure you review them before voting! Members of an APA Division that is holding elections will also be voting for division leadership at the same time. The chapter slate will show up on the ballot first. If you are a member of a division that is holding elections, that division slate will follow the chapter on the ballot. Should you have any questions or problems accessing the ballot webpage, please contact support@directvote.net.
2022 APA Florida Election Slate President-Elect: Charles Barmby, AICP / Allara Mills-Gutcher, AICP Treasurer: Kathleen Ebaugh, AICP / John Roach, AICP Secretary: Karla Ebenbach, AICP / Jill Quigley, AICP VP-Membership and Outreach: Ennis Davis, AICP / Sofia Garantiva, AICP / Douglas Kelly, AICP VP-Section Affairs: Alexis Crespo, AICP / Ali Palmer VP-Professional Development: Stephen Benson, AICP / Henry Bittaker, FAICP VP-Continuing Education: Ali Ankudowich, AICP / Lara Bouck, AICP / Michelle Heinrich, AICP VP-Communications: John Cooper / Amy Elmore, AICP VP-Conference Services: Edward Ng, AICP / Roxann Read, AICP
Summer 2022 / Florida Planning 15
travel
with a planner's eye
Fellow planners, we know your planner's eye
JANIE BARRON:
BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS, USA
SpaceX Launch Facility company in Cameron County, Texas.
doesn't turn off when you're on vacation. So we asked you to share any images you have snapped of a destination that has integrated healthy planning elements. And boy did you deliver! Enjoy the observations of your fellow planners and remember, when traveling, keep that planner's eye! continued on page 17
16 Summer 2022 / Florida Planning
[TRAVEL] WITH A PLANNERS EYE
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EMILY HANNA:
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
Skihill in Copenhagen, the landfill turned ski slope that now incinerates the city's trash with no emissions. Graffti art on the Berlin Wall
WIATT BOWERS: GERMANY, NYC & TEL AVIV
Christina Church in Copenhagen Stockholm Sweden - The city relies on boats for many of its transportation needs
Fascinated by this bike turn lane in Berlin
Outdoor dining protected bike lane in New York City
Protected intersection in Berlin
Historic Church, modern art, and bicycles … sums up Copenhagen!
Dinosaur National Monument - Artwork from the Freemont People in est. 1000 AD.
SUSANNE CARRANO:
HOLLYWOOD BEACH, FLORIDA
Tel Aviv now requires scooter share companies to provide helmets (though wearing it is not required) Tel Aviv recently opened a new linear park along the city's former rail line, and incorporated rails into the pedestrian walkway
Tel Aviv is replacing vehicle lanes with protected mobility lanes for bikes, scooters, skateboards, etc., throughout the city
The Hollywood Beach Broadwalk stretches nearly 2.5 miles along the Atlantic Ocean and provides recreational opportunities for pedestrians, joggers, rollerbladers, and bicyclists. The north end of the brick-paved thoroughfare transitions to an extended path leading to the Dania Beach Pier. For me, this is the perfect place to enjoy a bike ride through beachside neighborhoods and North Beach Park while stopping to enjoy the ocean view. The City of Hollywood opened a Memorial Fitness Zone at the beach's Charnow Park in 2021, offering additional fitness options.
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Summer 2022 / Florida Planning 17
[TRAVEL] WITH A PLANNERS EYE
continued from page 17
Parisians tend to agglomerate along the banks of the Seine River to picnic or hang out with family and friends.
MICHELLE HEINRICH:
RALEIGH AND DURHAM, N.C., USA & LONDON
While it doesn't look like it, Durham, N.C. transformed this ordinary traffic circle into a mini urban oasis complete with a fountain, walking path, lighting, and eye-catching sunflowers.
LUIS NIEVES-RUIZ: FRANCE, ITALY, SPAIN
During my recent trip, I noticed the primacy that public spaces take in European cities. Moreover, Europeans seem to have a better handle on how to best use natural areas for the enjoyment of the general population. When I think of health, these pictures come to mind.
Urban farming in downtown Raleigh, N.C. This non-profit cultivates fresh produce year-round on this one-acre lot. Produce is sold at their "pay-what-you-wish" farmstand and donated to local food banks and organizations. Its mission is to "reconnect city dwellers with healthy food production with more encounters with agriculture." This was an artificial beach in Florence, Italy. The city has provided the infrastructure to help residents enjoy the Arno River.
Kayaking in the Arno River in Florence
Beautiful example of pedestrian-oriented development allowing residents to walk or bike their way through London
To activate public spaces, it is important to develop programming for residents and visitors. The Caritas foundation was celebrating an event in one of the plazas near the Reina Sofia Museum
STEVE GRAHAM: Located in the middle of the City, El Retiro is one of Madrid's largest parks. There is a small lake near the Monument to Alfonso XII where people can rent canoes.
PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN, NYC, USA
Pocket parks and sustainable community gardens in Park Slope, Brooklyn. An urban oasis full of native plants and a nice escape from the bustle of the city! continued on page 19
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[TRAVEL] WITH A PLANNERS EYE
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JEFFREY UTLEE:
CANADA, FLORIDA, AND BOSTON
Vancouver, Canada – In Vancouver’s Gastown Neighborhood, there is a separated bikeway to protect riders
SUSAN CASWELL:
CAMBRIDGE, MASS., USA
Street art in Cambridge, which is everywhere
Vancouver, Canada – And in its Yaletown neighborhood, planners have a street block closed off for children's play.
Miami - Metrorail in Downtown skyline.
An idyllic Post Office at Mashpee Commons.
Fort Lauderdale – A walkway along New River in Downtown Fort Lauderdale.
A lovely Boston streetscape
A lovely sculpture over a pedestrian trail in Cambridge.
An entrance to a residential common area in Cambridge showing tracks to help residents identify animals that might wander through
Boston Commonwealth Avenue median greenway.
STEFANIE VON PALESKE-BUSH:
INNSBRUCK, AUSTRIA
This photo was taken in Innsbruck Austria. The city has placed these amazing benches all around the city, many with different flowers and vines. They really add so much to the streetscape and make for a very pleasant place to sit and wait for a bus or eat ice cream. continued on page 20
Summer 2022 / Florida Planning 19
[TRAVEL] WITH A PLANNERS EYE
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LAURIE HARARI:
DOWNTOWN MIAMI, USA
The Miami Design District, in Miami, Florida, is sprinkled with these playful, innovative, and practical architectural structures built with climate change in mind. Miami Design District's architectural design public tour guide, Tom, highlighted some of the district's most notable features, on Saturday, June 18, 2022. This photograph collection showcases Ronan and Erwan Bouroulleca's Nuage circular design shelters that offer pedestrians shade on Miami's hottest sunny days, protection from passing storms, and beautiful light displays at night. The Nuage's green foliage was planted with care and incorporated into their design. When we arrived at gt2P's Conscious Actions swingset, all three swings were already in motion. gt2P, a Chilean studio, created the Conscious Actions swingset's top feature to illustrate how the effects of playful movements can be harnessed into a more sustainable energy source. I snapped this photo of Tour Guide Tom by Conscious Actions when the swings freed up momentarily. The seven-story Miami Museum Garage is the district's tallest structure. This functional parking space is designed for people. The garage's architect and curator, Terence Riley, redefined the meaning of efficiency. Vibrant colors, mindful design, and playful features make this parking garage worth exploring. Ladders and hideaways are woven into the garage. A collaboration of artists put their touches on the Museum Garage's fun facades, including WORKac, J. Mayer H., Clavel Arquitectos, Nicolas Buffe. Sometimes day trips make the best vacations.
ELIZABETH STROM: LANDSHUT, GERMANY
Landshut, a small city in the German state of Bavaria, is very big on historic preservation, as you can see from the rooflines of their charming Medieval town center. But they are not afraid to build modern, missing middle housing in the surrounding neighborhoods, as portrayed in the last three photos.
East Village along the Bow River in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The city offers great public GEORGE KRAMER: access to its waterfront and demonstrates the CALGARY, ALBERTA, power of Placemaking in the East Village District CANADA
STEVE LINDORFF: VALENCIA, SPAIN
Santiago Calatrava's City of Arts & Science in Valencia, Spain.
20 Summer 2022 / Florida Planning
florida planning conference 2022
FEATURED SPEAKERS ORLANDO l SEPTEMBER 6 - 9, 2022
We are excited as we are inching closer to FPC22 Sept. 6-9 in Orlando. We have already told you about the mobile tours and wonderful sessions planned. Take a look at the featured speakers for our plenary and keynote sessions. DON’T MISS OUT! MAKE SURE YOU REGISTER BEFORE AUG. 26 AS THERE WILL BE NO ON-SITE REGISTRATION.
OPENING PLENARY | SEPT. 7 CHRISTINE KEFAUVER, BRIGHTLINE
Senior Vice President, Corporate Development
Christine Kefauver has more than 30 years of transportation planning and policy experience in the public and private arena. Prior to joining Brightline in 2021, she worked as the operations lead for Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi for HDR Engineering. Prior to joining HDR in 2014, Christine served as the Transportation Policy Advisor for Mayor Dyer at the City of Orlando for seven years. While at the City, Christine focused her efforts on advancing Central Florida's first commuter rail line, SunRail. In addition, she served as the city's direct liaison to all national, state, and local transportation partners. Christine served nine years on the Coalition for the Homeless in Central Florida and is a past President of WTS (Women in Transportation) of Central Florida. In addition, Christine serves on the East Orlando Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, is the Transportation Co-Chair for the Tampa Bay Partnership and is a member of the Orlando Economic Partnership. She holds a bachelor’s degree in urban planning from the University of Maryland and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Central Florida.
KEYNOTE LUNCHEON | SEPT. 8
CARLTON ELEY, MSURP, RACE FORWARD Senior Director for Federal Strategies
Carlton Eley comes to Race Forward following a long career of encouraging planning and policy solutions that are responsive to the needs of underserved communities and vulnerable populations. Prior to joining Race Forward, Carlton worked at the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission as Regional Equity Initiative Manager. From 2016 to 2019, Carlton completed multiple projects that served to re-energize the American Planning Association’s focus on advancing equity, including chairing the Social Equity Task Force.
Carlton is a former civil servant whose career with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) spanned 20 years. He was the first urban planner hired by the Office of Environmental Justice at EPA. Carlton distinguished himself as an accomplished expert on the topic of equitable development while working for the federal government. He managed national workshops; conducted community technical assistance; and published multiple articles that explore the intersection of equity and community planning. Carlton is featured in the PBS documentary Redlining: Mapping Inequality in Dayton & Springfield. He was named the 2021 Sojourner Truth Fellow for Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Michigan. In 2003, Carlton participated in the Ian Axford (New Zealand) Fellowship in Public Policy sponsored by Fulbright New Zealand. Carlton has a Master in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Iowa as well as a Bacherlor in Sociology/Social Work Curriculum from Elizabeth City State University.
CLOSING PLENARY | SEPT. 9 JASON VUIC, AUTHOR
The Swamp Peddlers: How Lot Sellers, Land Scammers, and Retirees Built Modern Florida and Transformed the American Dream
Originally from Punta Gorda, Jason Vuic is a writer and historian from Fort Worth, Texas. He is the author of several books, including The Swamp Peddlers: How Lot Sellers, Land Scammers, and Retirees Built Modern Florida and Transformed the American Dream (UNC Press, 2021), The Yucks! Two Years in Tampa with the Losingest Team in NFL History (Simon and Schuster, 2016) and The Yugo: The Rise and Fall of the Worst Car in History (Hill and Wang, 2010). Jason is a graduate of Wake Forest University and holds a Master in History from the University of Richmond and a Ph.D. in History from Indiana University Bloomington. He has been both a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar and a Fulbright Scholar and has appeared on such well-known programs as NPR’s Weekend Edition, Fox and Friends in the Morning, and C-SPAN’s Book TV. His website is jasonvuic.com. continued on page 22
Summer 2022 / Florida Planning 21
[FPC CONFERENCE] 2022
continued from page 21
MAKE PLANS TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEMBER MEETING! The 2022 Annual Member Meeting will be held at the Hilton Orlando on Destination Parkway in Orlando from 6 – 6:30 pm on Sept. 6 in room Orange A. At this meeting, members will be asked to VOTE on the 2023 Budget, the 2023 Strategic Operational Plan, and the 2023 Legislative Mission, Guiding Principles, and Policy Positions. The agenda and the materials to be voted on are posted on the chapter website at florida.planning.org. Please take the time to review them before September. For those members who are unable to attend the annual meeting but who wish to vote on these items, a proxy system has been created. This proxy system form allows you to decide whether you want to REGISTER YOUR VOTE IN ADVANCE and submit it to the Chapter Office for use at the annual meeting OR DELEGATE
FPC22 411 • We are convening Sept. 6 -9 at the Hilton Destination Parkway in Orlando. • Keep up news and announcements at floridaplanningconference.org. • Registration closes on Aug. 26. There will be no onsite registration! • Make sure you take a look at all the preconference workshops and trainings. There is one all day mobile tour as well. • Interesting in becoming a FPC22 sponsor? Check out all the sponsorship benefits here.
See you in Orlando! 22 Summer 2022 / Florida Planning
YOUR VOTE to another member who will be attending the annual meeting if you are unable to participate. A proxy voting form, which may be reproduced, can be downloaded from APA Florida’s website at florida.planning.org. There are two important requirements when using the proxy voting form: 1) Mailed proxies must be received at the Chapter Office by 5:00 pm, August 26 to ensure timely receipt and transfer to the meeting; 2) all proxies, whether mailed or hand-carried, must be verified by the APA Florida Secretary or Executive Director so please completely and legibly fill out all required fields on the proxy. If you have any questions, please contact the Chapter Office at 850-201-3272 or fapa@floridaplanning.org.
Congratulations to Florida's newest members of the American Institute of Certified Planners APA Florida is proud of our 1,685 members who have joined our ranks as members of the American Institute of Certified Planners (designated as AICP). We want to congratulate our 46 most recent members who passed the November exam. Congratulations to you all! Charles Abbatantuono Miranda Anaya Corinn Beem Carl Benge Brandon Berry Terrilyn Bostwick James Boxold Waldo Carbo Chris Carson Emmanuel Cofie
Monique Colberg Derrick Cook Megan Ferguson Noah Fossick Chris Frassetti Gerald Galloway Jeremy Gauger Sarah Goolsby Glennika Gordon Laura Hardwicke
Joe Hochadel Julia Holtzhausen Leny Huaman Jared Jacobs Jessica Kluttz Alexandra Laporte Mariluz Maldonado Amanda Martin Kevin Moran Megan Nixon
Lauren O'Neill Andrea Papandrew Nikesh Patel Melissa Porcaro Michael Roberson Prakrati Shrivastava Aaron Silverberg Elisabeth Staten Alex Steady Devin Tolpin
Nicole Tremblay Anthony Vallone Paola West Michael Whalen Jennifer Wolfe Leyi Zhang
Summer 2022 / Florida Planning 23
Executive Committee Spotlight Q&A:
Macy Falcon, AICP Where are you originally from? I was born and raised in the Panhandle. I grew up in Pensacola and live in Tallahassee. What college/ university did you attend? I received a Bachelor of Geography and Environmental Studies and a Master of Urban and Regional Planning at Florida State University. Who is your current employer? My work at Kimley-Horn focuses on transportation, resiliency, and community planning. I like to apply what I learn in each area to create livable communities. What are your current and any past positions in APA Florida Currently, I am the Capital Area Section Chair. Before that, I was the section Treasurer and the Executive Committee Student Representative. What you would be doing now if you hadn’t chosen the planning profession? An engineer if I could make it through all those math classes, or a lawyer. Would you like to share anything about your family? My husband and I recently welcomed our son Archer to the family. We now have 2 dogs, a cat, and a tiny human who keeps us busy. What are your hobbies and interests? When I am not working, I play tennis, attend a book club, and enjoy hanging out with my friends. I also love a good game of gin rummy or speed Scrabble.
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What is your advice to new graduates? When starting your career, take advantage of every opportunity to meet new people and have new experiences. You never know what may come of it. What have you gained or learned by being a member of APA Florida? I have met planners from all over the state. I truly enjoy being a part of the planning community and making so many friends through the organization. Is there a particular state planning topic you’d like to comment on or feel fellow planners need to follow? Knowing a little bit about everything can be so powerful. I like to be up to date with current trends and learn from experts in different areas of practice.
APA Florida
PLANNERS ON THE MOVE BOUCK TAPPED AS TAMPA’S CHIEF PRODUCTION ENGINEER Lara Bouck, AICP, PE, recently left MetroPlan Orlando to join the City of Tampa's Mobility Department as the Chief Production Engineer. Her responsibilities will include overseeing the capital program, managing select major projects, and working with the Mobility team to maximize the travel experience for all users within the City of Tampa. Lara is currently the Secretary of APA Florida and serves on the chapter’s EDI, Bylaws, and Editorial committees. S&ME ENLISTS CASTRO AS PROJECT PLANNER Gabriela Castro, AICP joins S&ME as a Project Planner in the firm’s Orlando office. Before joining S&ME, Gabriela spent the last seven years with Collier County Growth Management working in the Development Review Division and Zoning Division. As a project planner, Gabriela will work on both public and private projects. Gabriela holds a Bachelor of Science in Sustainability and the Built Environment and a Master of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Florida. DEFOE-SURPRENANT NAMED ECFRPC PLANNING DIRECTOR In May, the East Central Florida RPC selected Brenda Defoe-Surprenant as its next Director of Planning. In her new position, Brenda will help ensure uniformity across the diverse work ECFRPC staff does across its eight-county region. Before joining the ECFRPC, Brenda served as the project manager in conjunction with Kimley-Horn in developing the Presidential Streets Master Plan, a framework for complete street designs for Cape Canaveral’s largest network of public roadways. A Florida resident for most of her life, she has dedicated her work to ensuring the Sunshine State is a leader in sustainable development patterns. Brenda holds a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and design from the University of Central Florida and a master’s degree in urban planning with a specialization in sustainability from the University of Florida. She is also currently pursuing a master’s in legal studies specializing in environmental law with Arizona State University. EVERITT JOINS BENESCH Laura Everitt, Esq., AICP, LEED GA, has joined Benesch’s Tampa office to continue providing transit planning services to clients across the Southeast. She is excited to partner again with her colleagues from Tindale Oliver, which was recently acquired by Benesch.
CITY OF EUSTIS NAMES LANE AS NEW DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DIRECTOR Mike Lane, AICP, has joined the City of Eustis as its new Director of the Development Services Department. Mike has more than 30 years of planning and development services experience, with 22 years of that being in the Florida Panhandle. Before coming to Eustis, he worked as the Development Services Director in Panama City. As the Development Services Director, Lane will manage the department encompassing all activities related to building, planning, development, and the comprehensive plan. Mike earned a Bachelor of Community and Regional Planning from Southern Mississippi and has served as a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners since 1995. LEPP JOINS HDR Nick Lepp, AICP CTP, joined HDR in Orlando as a Metropolitan Planning Practice Leader. practice leader. Previously, Nick served as MetroPlan Orlando’s Director of Transportation Planning. MORRISON SELECTED TO JOIN ULI’S HEALTH LEADERS NETWORK Michelle Morrison of the East Central Florida RPC is among the 29 professionals selected for the Urban Land Institute’s Health Leaders Network. Since joining the ECFRPC at the end of the last decade, Michelle has worked to push forward health initiatives while overseeing numerous large projects, including rewriting the comprehensive plans for multiple East Central Florida cities. She recently completed work on two resilience projects –a comprehensive plan resilience element and a regional food systems resilience plan. The resilience element was the first inland resilience element in Florida and received an award from the National Association of Development Organizations. The element addressed social and economic vulnerabilities in addition to environmental stresses. The regional food systems resiliency project analyzed food policy and infrastructure gaps to create a regional food resilience action plan. PLEASANT JOINS CITY OF TAMPA Matthew Pleasant, AICP will join the City of Tampa's Planning Department in August. He looks forward to supporting several of the city's upcoming projects as senior planning coordinator. His p revious roles include serving as Department Manager of Planning and Siting at Hillsborough County Public Schools and Planner at Renaissance Planning's Tampa office. He completed his master's continued on page 26
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[ON] THE MOVE
continued from page 25
degree in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of South Florida in 2018. In March, he and his wife welcomed their son, Oscar. FORWARD PINELLAS RECRUITS SIMPSON Kyle Simpson, AICP, joined Forward Pinellas as its Active Transportation Planner. Kyle holds a Master of Regional Planning from the State University of New York at Albany and a bachelor’s from the University of Central Florida. His most recent experience was with the City of St. Petersburg, where he worked on several transformative projects, including the city’s Complete Streets Implementation Plan, Vision 2050, and SunRunner. Kyle was introduced to the world of Active Transportation through self-supported bicycle touring as a teenager and has now completed over a dozen tours, including bicycling across the United States from Oregon to New York and across 11 countries in Europe!! BENESCH NAMES WILSON PROJECT MANAGER Rich Wilson, AICP, PE, recently joined Benesch’s Tampa office as a Project Manager. In his new role, Rich will be helping communities throughout the state with complete streets implementation, safety studies, and multimodal transportation plans. A dual certified planner and licensed engineer, Rich earned a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from the University of Florida and a Master of Civil Engineering and City and Regional Planning from the Georgia Institute of Technology. POLK COUNTY APPOINTS ZISKAL AS LAND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Benjamin Ziskal, AICP, was appointed by Polk County to serve as its Land Development Director. Ben has nearly 20 years of government experience in professional planning. He spent more than 12 years as a planner for the City of Margate, then as its Director of Economic Development. After serving nearly a year in Virginia as an Assistant Planning Director, Ben returned to Florida, where he served in the City of Pinellas Park as the Planning Development Services Director and Community Development Administrator for the past three years. He earned a Bachelor of Urban Planning and Development from Ball State University and a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from Florida Atlantic University. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and a Certified Economic Developer. He also served six years in the U.S. Air Force and was deployed in 2008 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
COYLE, DICKERSON ESTABLISH URBAN PLANNING INNOVATIONS Amber K. Dickerson, AICP, and Catherine Coyle united forces to co-found Urban Planning Innovations, LLC in May. The duo is excited to focus on select planning projects to spark innovations in the field and fully leverage their abilities to make positive changes to the built environment. Amber K. UPI, a uniquely female-owned and operated Dickerson, AICP planning firm, offers school planning, project management, property entitlement, due diligence, and community outreach services. Before UPI, Amber served eight years with Hillsborough County Public Schools, and as the General Manager of Growth Management for the final three years. During her time with Catherine Coyle HCPS, she managed the school concurrency system, school circulation projects, attendance boundary changes, real estate transactions, intergovernmental coordination, and developed the annual five-year facilities workplan plan. In Catherine’s most recent role, as Director of Land Development and Planning for Domain Homes, she directed preliminary lot evaluations, due diligence, land entitlement, permitting, and site preparation (land development) activities for the company. Before her tenure at Domain Homes, Catherine served in several urban planning leadership roles with the City of Tampa, including as Planning & Urban Design Manager and Zoning Administrator. Amber received a Bachelor of Urban Planning and Regional Planning from Miami University, and a Master of Real Estate Development from the University of Maryland, where she earned the MRED’s academic achievement award. Catherine earned a Bachelor of Geography from the University of South Florida.
Please Welcome APA Florida's Two New Staff Members PATTI SHEA, COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Patti Shea has been telling stories for more than 20 years. Patti is a three-time Associated Press award-winning journalist who has worked as an editor for USA Today and The Washington Times and was the founding managing editor of The Capitol Hill Current. She leapt to digital storytelling at AARP, where she shared the stories of family caregivers and won a Gracie Award for a documentary series about retired parents caring for disabled veterans. Patti saw the potential of sharing stories and experiences on social continued on page 30
26 Summer 2022 / Florida Planning
Land Use & Planning:
LAW CASE UPDATE By David A. Theriaque, Esq., & Benjamin R. Kelley, Esq. CEDAR POINT NURSERY V. HASSID, 141 S. CT. 2063 (2021) This is a decision from the United States Supreme Court with potential ramifications for customary use cases. Indeed, the Intervenors in the Walton County customary use cases have frequently cited this case for the proposition that the doctrine of customary use violates a property owner’s fundamental right to exclude. Cedar Point dealt with a California regulation that granted labor organizations a “right to take access” to an agricultural employer’s property in order to solicit support for unionization. The regulation allowed such access during four (4) months of the year, for one (1) hour before the start of work, one (1) hour during lunch, and one (1) hour after work. After certain union organizers (“Organizers”) sought to take access to property owned by two (2) California growers (“Growers”), the Growers filed suit in federal court seeking to enjoin enforcement of the access regulation on grounds that it constituted an unconstitutional per se taking pursuant to the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. On review, the Supreme Court first explained that the test for regulations restricting an owner’s ability to use its property is that set forth in Penn Central Transportation Co. v. New York City, 438 U.S. 104 (1978). The Court also stated, however, that when the government physically appropriates property, Penn Central does not apply, regardless of whether the government action takes the form of a regulation, statute, ordinance, or decree. The Court then held that California’s access regulation appropriated a right to “invade” the Growers’ properties, and constituted a per se taking. In so doing, the Court reasoned that the regulation did not restrain the Growers’ use of their property, but rather, “appropriate[d] for the enjoyment of third parties” the Growers’ right to exclude, which is a “fundamental element of the property right.” Moreover, the Court rejected the lower court’s conclusion that the access regulation could not qualify as a per se taking because it did not allow access in a continuous and permanent manner. The Court stated that a physical appropriation is a taking whether it is permanent or temporary, and the duration bears only on the amount of compensation due. Notwithstanding the Court’s ruling, it did acknowledge that many physical invasions will not amount to takings because they are “consistent with longstanding restrictions on property rights.” Pursuant to established precedent, the government does not take a property interest when it merely asserts a preexisting limitation upon the landowner’s title. These “background limitations” encompass traditional common law privileges, such as the right to enter property to avert imminent disaster. In Justice Breyer’s dissent, which was joined by Justices Sotomayor and Kagan, he argued that the access regulation did not “physically appropriate” a taking and amounted to a regulation
of the Growers’ property rights. Justice Breyer explained that the majority view would mean virtually every governmentauthorized invasion is an “appropriation,” and that the regulation did not “appropriate” anything. Instead, it simply regulated the Growers’ right to exclude others. To Justice Breyer, “the majority’s conclusion threatens to make many ordinary forms of regulation unusually complex or impractical.” NORTHSHORE HOLDINGS, LLC V. WALTON CTY., CASE NO. 2021-CA-210 (FLA. 1ST CIR. CT. MAR. 21, 2022) This is a second customary use case in Walton County. The plaintiffs are beachfront property owners in Walton County. As such, they had a right to intervene in the County’s customary use lawsuit pursuant to Section 163.035(3)(b)2., Florida Statutes. They did not do so, however, and instead filed an action seeking to declare the customary use doctrine unconstitutional. The plaintiffs argue that customary use is unconstitutional because it constitutes a taking of an owner’s fundamental right to exclude others from one’s property, and because the elements of customary use, as acknowledged by the Florida Supreme Court in City of Daytona Beach v. Tona-Rama, Inc., 294 So. 2d 73 (Fla. 1974), are unconstitutionally vague. After the parties submitted competing memoranda, the court conducted a one (1) day bench trial. The court then issued a Final Judgment in favor of the County. In so doing, the court rejected the plaintiffs’ “right to exclude” argument, based on an exception to takings claims relating to background principles of state property law. Based on language from Tona-Rama, the court determined that the Florida Supreme Court indicated “that it was treating the right of the public to enter privately-owned beachfront property as something which is inherent in title to the land or in restrictions that background principles of the State’s law of property continued on page 28
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[LAW] CASE
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already placed upon land ownership.” The court determined that it had to assume this was the Tona-Rama Court’s finding “before making any decision that might be deemed contrary to Florida precedent.” As to the plaintiffs’ argument that the customary use test adopted by the Florida Supreme Court was “void for vagueness,” the court ruled – as it has several times in the larger customary use case – that it could not overturn or reject a decision of the Florida Supreme Court. BALM ROAD INV., LLC V. HILLSBOROUGH CTY. BD. OF CTY. COMM’RS, 336 SO. 3D 776 (FLA. 2D DCA 2022) This case dealt with the “extreme deference” required for second-tier certiorari review. The Second District Court of Appeal stated that the circuit court had, on first-tier certiorari review, reached a conclusion that “simply [could not] be justified,” and “erred in its
assessment of the evidence” in determining that the petitioners had failed to meet their “initial burden of showing their proposed rezoning was consistent with the county’s comprehensive plan.” Nevertheless, despite the “overwhelming evidence,” and the fact that the circuit court “plucked one point of data” to reach its conclusion, the Second District explained that second-tier certiorari review is limited to whether the circuit court afforded procedural due process and applied the correct law. Because the circuit court had done each of these things, the Second District was not authorized to reverse the decision below. David Theriaque is a founding partner of Theriaque & Spain. He can be reached at dat@theriaquelaw.com. Benjamin Kelly, Esq., is an attorney for Theriaque & Spain. He can be reached at brk@theriaquelaw.com.
[MIAMI] HEATWAVE continued from page 11
many parts of the country, we are experiencing record-breaking days and nights of heat. What’s different about our community is the sustained periods of high heat that we experience. These are not heat waves … this is our new normal. Also, we are finding out that when we begin to address extreme heat by working together with our residents, it has the co-benefit of addressing other community-wide issues like access to green spaces, safe and affordable housing, improving public health, and more. The nexus between the environment and many socio-economic issues is crystal clear. Through our workshops and community conversations, we realized that we needed a multi-pronged approach and that we needed not only to make policy changes but to work from a more grassroots level with boots on the ground in our most vulnerable neighborhoods. So, we’ve developed heat enhancement training for the county’s Citizen Emergency Response Team (CERT) disaster volunteers. These trainings are currently being provided over a series of 5 or 6 neighborhoods. At the end of each training, each volunteer receives a Heat Response Tool Kit with a thermometer, instant icepacks, electrolytes, cooling towels, etc. Neighbors checking on neighbors and communities watching out for their own is a key approach in our strategy. Preparing engaged citizens with the knowledge and tools to help their communities is priceless. 28 Summer 2022 / Florida Planning
I am incredibly proud that Miami-Dade is leading the way in this important work. We’ve learned so much from engaging healthcare professionals, outdoor workers, scientists, social workers, school kids, environmentalists, and everyone in between. It truly is a communitywide effort, and therein lies the success we’ve seen so far. Jane Gilbert is the Chief Heat Officer for Miami-Date County. She can be reached at resilience@miamidade.gov.
[NEW CHAPTER] STAFF
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media and in 2010 became a founding member of the AARP Social Media team. In 2014, she created her consulting shop in Tallahassee so she could have the flexibility as a full-time caregiver for her father, Jim, and mother, Kathy. APA Florida was one of her first clients. She is excited to be aboard full-time and ready to create a new experience for APA Florida members. Patti loves kayaking on one of Tallahassee’s many rivers and howling along with her beagle, Darwin. SUZIE GRAY, BOOKKEEPER & ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Hello all! I am new to the APA Florida team and looking forward to learning all about the work that planners do. I am excited to have the opportunity to attend this year’s Florida Planning Conference. I was born and raised in our capital city of Tallahassee and am a very proud Seminole Fan (Go Noles!). I am happily married to my husband, Ryan Gray, who works for the Florida Department of Transportation, so he may be of assistance in understanding planning aspects from his perspective. We enjoy nature, traveling, family time, and our two beloved chihuahuas. I enjoy cooking, going on walks, and seeing what my future holds with APA Florida!
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[FLORIDA] PLANNING Published by the Florida Chapter, American Planning Association, the Florida Planning digital magazine has a current circulation of 3,200 members, subscribers and other readers. Four issues are published a year.
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[UPCOMING] EVENTS AUG. 5: ZONING RULES AS CODE Webinar. Hosted by the Planning Webcast Series. This webinar will introduce the topic of drafting planning rules as computer code from international case studies. Despite being on the radar of the PropTech sector, planners themselves are currently unprepared for the wide-reaching changes this technology poses for plan drafting and development review. Information here. Free. 1.5 when viewed live. AUG. 29-31: ANNUAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING CONFERENCE Orlando. The Florida Housing Coalition’s Annual Conference attracts more than 900 affordable housing advocates, lenders, developers, administrators, and policymakers. The annual conference offers training from the nuts and bolts of housing to cutting-edge training and an opportunity to learn from a broad range of experts. Information here. CM offered. SEPT. 6-9: 2022 FLORIDA PLANNING CONFERENCE Orlando. The Orlando Metro Section is pleased to host the 2022 Florida Planning Conference in at the Hilton Orlando on Destination Parkway. This year we will focus on dynamic speakers, breakout sessions, and mobile tours that will facilitate future-ready cities. An emphasis will be placed on sustainability and resilience, supporting equity, diversity, and inclusion within the planning profession, and providing a “lessons learned” aspect for attendees. Registration ends on Aug. 26. Information here. CM offered. THIS FALL: HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH APA Florida’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee is partnering with APA’s Latinos and Planning Division to honor and commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month, which is from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. Stay tuned for more information about our free webinar highlighting Hispanic and Latino Voices in Planning. Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage by celebrating the histories, cultures, and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively. Also, Día de la Raza or Columbus Day, which is October 12, celebrates and honors the many countries, people, traditions, and cultures affected by European colonization. Click here to see all EDI events. For more information on these and other APA Florida events, please visit florida.planning.org/calendar/