South Florida is already considered by many to be a global destination for culture but a local group of leaders from technology, arts, design and music want to ensure it’s a destination for creative entrepreneurship as well.
The Southeast Florida Regional Partnership’s “Seven Counties, 50 Years” plan is an initiative to increase the region’s prosperity in the region, incorporating economic, cultural and environmental perspectives. The partnership is a voluntary collaboration of more than 200 public, private and civic stakeholders from Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties.
The initiative relies on leaders like Aditi Sharma, a town planner, to find ways for the so-called creative class to get involved.
“It’s been a really useful forum to get those kind of people together and kind of come to an agreement as to the best possible future for South Florida," Sharma said.
Karja Hansen, president of the Urban Environment League and a member of Seven50, adds that focusing on Southeast Florida is crucial because the region is poised to experience the brunt of climate change in the future.
“Right now, Miami is definitely the gravity of the entire Southeast Florida region,” Hansen said, “but there’s a serious question as to what Miami’s going to look like 30 years from now, or if it’s even going to exist.
“No matter what, we’re going to have to be looking at the seven counties and what the shift away from just Miami, depending on how severe the climate impact is, will look like.”
To learn more about South Florida's 50-year outlook, go to Seven50's scenario modeler. The tool will allow you to choose your growth preferences and explore possible local futures.
Look below for some screenshots of the modeler.
