American Planning Association Florida Chapter Legislative Program and Initiatives Approved by EC on July 25, 2025 Approved by Membership on Sept. 13, 2025
The Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA Florida) is the state-level resource for Urban and Community Planning. Through our Mission as the leading voice in planning for Florida’s future, our organization values advocacy and leadership through planning expertise in collaborative processes that will benefit all Floridians. We envision a future where our communities, economies, and environments all thrive. APA Florida’s Legislative Program and Initiatives represent our focus in promoting planning approaches to advance this vision, focusing on five key areas: • • •
Coordinated and Cooperative Planning Economically Sustainable Growth Resilience and Vulnerability Mitigation
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Access to Safe and Healthy Communities Protect Florida’s Environmental Resources
Coordinated and Cooperative Planning:
APA Florida believes planning is best achieved through coordinated and cooperative efforts that respect the capabilities of local and regional entities and meaningful citizen participation. Right-Size Approach: Each level of government is vital to growth management. We support local planning and zoning and a balance between state and local regulation. Cross Jurisdictional Coordination: Coordination among Florida’s local and regional entities is vital to planning for economic development, energy and water infrastructure, integrated and efficient transportation systems, and environmental resource management.
Economically Sustainable Growth:
APA Florida supports land use and infrastructure planning that fosters economically sustainable and resilient growth. Housing Affordability: Removal of barriers to access and supply and the continuation of Florida’s housing trust funds and support economic sustainability. Transportation: Implementation of statewide multimodal and intermodal freight networks should align to create safe, economically and technologically competitive transportation options. Community Redevelopment Agencies: CRAs should be preserved as vital local planning tools which complement land use, design, and infrastructure planning. Tourism, Arts, and Culture: Support the inclusion of tourism, arts, and cultural planning to APA Florida Legislative Platform
Approved by Membership on Sept. 13, 2025