2012 Legislative Update -- Check this out for the latest information on legislation being considered during the 2012 session.

January 2011--As growth management faced the toughest Legislative session in history, 1000 Friends and its conservation allies released two new reports containing recommendations to refine Florida's growth management system and describing how cost-efficient planning is an effective economic development tool. Please check them out:

Planning for Quality Growth and Economic Prosperity for Florida's Future

Why Planning is an Effective Economic Development Tool for Florida

Everglades Foundation poll -- 81% of Florida voters think "We need the state to manage new development to protect our rivers, lakes, streams, and beaches from pollution." (February 2011)

DCA Amendment Approvals for 2007-2010 --Over the period from January 2007 to December 2010, Florida’s land planning agency, the Department of Community Affairs (DCA), has approved more than 2,500 amendments to Future Land Use Maps in communities across the state.  These approvals allow close to 2 million additional acres of development, including more than 1 million new dwelling units (which could house 2.4 million people).  Also approved were 2.7 billion square feet of non-residential development.  This is the equivalent of about 270 new regional shopping malls, or more than four new regional malls for each county in Florida!  On top of this confirmed development potential in Florida, some estimate that a backlog of several hundred thousand acres of additional approved-but-not-yet-constructed development remains from earlier years.

Past Studies and Reports:

Growth Management for Florida's Future -- In 2004, 1000 Friends outlined a series of recommendations to reform Florida's growth management process. Click here for the accompanying letter to DCA Secretary Thaddeus Cohen.

1000 Friends' Evaluation of the Growth Management Study Commission Report -- Created by Executive Order by Governor Jeb Bush, the Growth Management Study Commission presented its final report to the Florida Legislature in February 2001. This is 1000 Friends' evaluation of that report.

1000 Friends of Florida Survey -- In May of 2000, 1000 Friends commissioned a statewide survey on growth management. The results are summarized here.

Growth Management Coalition's Six Principles of Unity for Smarter Growth in Florida -- In the spring of 2000, an informal coalition of close to 30 organizations, ranging from the Florida Chapter of the American Lung Association to the Florida Catholic Conference signed on to these principles calling for smarter growth.

1000 Friends' Ten Principles for Smarter Growth in Florida -- In December of 1999, 1000 Friends' Board of Directors adopted these principles to guide it in evaluating proposed changes to Florida's growth management process.

Department of Community Affairs Secretaries Share Their Views -- In 1999, 1000 Friends asked the current and former Secretaries of the Florida Department of Community Affairs to share their views on how this state's growth management process should be revised. Here are their responses.

Past Sessions:

2011 Legislative Wrap Up -- Major overhaul of Florida's growth management system with passage of the 2011 Community Steward Act.

2010 Legislative Wrap Up -- Find out what happened in 2010.

2009 Legislative Wrap Up -- Gov. Crist signs controversial SB 360 into law.

2008 Legislative Wrap Up --Here are some of the highlights of the 2008 session.

2007 Legislative Wrap Up-- Find out about 2007 legislation related to growth management, affordable housing, and more.

2006 Legislative Wrap Up -- Review some of the highlights of the 2006 legislative session.

2005 Legislative Wrap Up -- Some of the most important changes to Florida's growth management process since the act's 1985 adoption were made in 2005.

2004 Legislative Update -- This includes a summary of what did and did not happen during the 2004 session.

2003 Legislative Update -- Check here for a wrap up on the 2003 session.

2002 Legislative Update -- This includes information on growth management issues addressed during the 2002 Legislative Session.

2001 Legislative Update -- Despite much debate on the issue of how Florida manages its growth, the 2001 Legislature made few changes to this state's growth management system.

2000 Legislative Update -- Growth management was a hot topic during the 2000 session, with several damaging bills nearly passing. This includes a summary of what did and did not happen in 2000.