Department of Urban and Regional Planning swakefield@fau.edu
MelinaMatos,PhD
Florida Atlantic University
Assistant Professor
Department of Urban and Regional Planning swakefield@fau.edu
PeterJ.Henn,Esq.,AICP
Jones Foster Attorneys at Law Land Use/Government Practice West Palm Beach
phenn@fau.edu
Gov. Reubin Askew
Environmental Land Management Study Committee (ELMS I), chaired by Dr. John M. DeGrove father of Florida growth management
Local Government Comprehensive Planning Act of 1975
Gov. Bob Graham
Local Government Comprehensive Planning and Land Development Regulation Act of 1985 (ELMS II), chaired by Robert M. “Bob” Rhodes
Netherlands: Structural Visions
3 tiers
Flexible planning
Strategic alignment without overregulation
Encourages innovation and sustainability
Germany: Bauleitplanung
Two-tier: FNP (guiding), BP (binding)
Legal and environmental integration
Regional cooperation
Sustainability in development
In Germany, the pre-application advice is legally binding for the local planning authority
UK: Flexible Development Control
No rigid zoning
Guided by NPPF and RSS
Local discretion and adaptability
Quick response to urban challenges
Encourages innovation
Aligns with local and national goals
Croydon Local Plan 2018
Scandinavia: Regional Sustainability Model
Strong regional-local coordination
Compact city design
Emphasizes public participation and resilience
Controls urban sprawl
Promotes climate resilience
Integrates public input in planning
“Every time they did something good for people, there were more people.”
Jan Gehl
Scandinavian Model – Regional Sustainability
The regional plan of North Jutland
Scandinavian Model – Regional Sustainability
Municipal plan of Odense, the main structure for land use
LIVING WITH WATER URBAN DESIGN: LESSONS FROM
MIAMI + AMSTERDAM
DR. STEPHANIE WAKEFIELD
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF URBAN PLANNING +
ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN
DEPARTMENT OF URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING
MIAMI, FLORIDA
LIVING WITH WATER IN MIAMI, FLORIDA
LEARNING FROM AMSTERDAM?
Henk Ovink, Special Envoy for Water Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
DUTCH WATER MANAGEMENT
SCHOONSCHIP FLOATING VILLAGE
AMSTERDAM CANAL SYSTEM
PARKING GARAGE BENEATH CANAL
POLDERS
GREEN ROOFS + SPONGE CITY CONCEPT
LIVING WITH WATER – WHOLE CITY SYSTEM DESIGN
GRAY URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE
“WHEN YOU BECOME MAYOR OF A CITY THAT’S BEING ATTACKED BY SEA LEVEL RISE, THERE’S NO BOOK TO BUY, NO COURSE TO TAKE, NO GUIDE TO FOLLOW. WE HAD TO LITERALLY WRITE THE BOOK OURSELVES.”
Phil Levine, Mayor of Miami Beach (2013-2017)
BEYOND GRAY URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE
“BROADENING MIAMI BEACH’S STRATEGY BEYOND PUMPS AND STREET ELEVATION TO INTEGRATE GREEN AND BLUE INFRASTRUCTURE AND OTHER INNOVATIONS IN RESILIENCE
COULD LEAD MIAMI BEACH TO BECOME A WORLDWIDE MODEL OF LIVING WITH WATER.”
Urban Land Institute Advisory Services Panel Report (2018)
UNIQUE GEOLOGICAL CONTEXT
COMPREHENSIVE EVERGLADES RESTORATION PLAN (CERP
DESIGNING NATURE TO FUNCTION AS URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE
LIVING WITH WATER – FUTURE DIRECTIONS
Rethinking Planning: Equity and Sustainable Growth
Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Urban and Regional Planning
FloridaAtlantic University
Florida Planning Conference 2025 September 18, 2025
Melina Matos,
Equity and Sustainable Growth
Equity & Sustainability?
Equity OR Sustainability?
What if entire neighborhoods were designed as living laboratories of sustainability and equity? Paris has been experimenting with exactly that through the idea of the Ecodistrict.
Ecodistrict
Ecodistricts: integrated neighborhoods designed for environmental, social, and economic sustainability.
Origins: rooted in EU’s sustainable cities agenda, strengthened in Paris through the Plan Climat Énergie Territorial. Core values:
• Compact & mixed-use development.
• Climate resilience (energy, water, mobility).
• Social equity (affordable housing + community engagement).
Clichy-Batignolles Ecodistrict - Paris
The Ecodistrict in Paris exemplifies innovative urban planning, balancing sustainability and social equity while addressing the challenges of modern cities through comprehensive strategies and community engagement.
• Developers finance buildings, but with requirements for energy performance and green features.
• National subsidies: Social housing in eco-districts is supported through France’s robust system of public housing finance (HLM sector).
Environmental features don’t rely solely on private capital they’re embedded in the financing mix.
Clichy-Batignolles Ecodistrict - Paris
Policy & RegulatoryAnchors
• Paris Climate & Energy Plan and ÉcoQuartier Label act as binding frameworks.
• These set minimum performance standards (energy, water, waste) and equity requirements (social mix, community facilities). Mandatory housing mix (50% social, 20% intermediate, 30% market).
• Integration of Social Equity Tools: Public amenities schools, daycare, cultural venues — built early, reducing perception of eco-districts as elite enclaves
Can we replicate Paris Ecodistrict
in the US?
Dr. Melina Matos
Rethinking Planning: Equity & Sustainable Growth
American Planning Association (APA) Florida Chapter
2025 Florida Planning Conference
September 16 – 19, 2025
Daytona Beach, Florida
Peter J. Henn, Esq., AICP
Jones Foster Attorneys at Law
Land Use/Government Practice Group
West Palm Beach, Florida
Sometimes You Need To Take Things Down To Develop a More Sustainable and Resilient Environment
Sometimes You Need To Keep Things in Place To Develop a More Sustainable and Resilient Environment
Sometimes
You Need To Just Start Over To Develop a More Sustainable
and Resilient Environment
Most times You Need More Density and More Height To Develop a More Sustainable and Resilient Environment and Move from NIMBY to YIMBY
Resilience, sustainability, and all the other “green stuff” is good
As long it does not interfere with my development project
All Actions to Create a More Sustainable and Resilient Environment Must Meet Federal and State Law
▪Federal Law: Fifth Amendment/Takings
▪State Law: Senate Bill 180 (2025)
LAND USE LAW IS NOT AN ABSOLUTE SCIENCE
CONSTITUTIONAL LAW RELATED TO PROPERTY RIGHTS AND THE PUBLIC INTEREST
5th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution:
“No person shall be… deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation”
