Asphalt will rule in 2060, study says
We’ll always have the Panhandle. And Big Bend. And maybe a bit of Lake Okeechobee. But based on a 50-year look into Florida’s development future, not much else will remain pristine. Certainly not central Florida.
A study released Wednesday called “Florida 2060” says the Tampa Bay area will be part of the most urbanized section of Florida in a half century.
Take a map of the region, isolate wetlands and nature preserves and cram the rest with homes and businesses.
The study was commissioned by 1,000 Friends of Florida, a group devoted to preserving nature and fighting urban sprawl.
If the state doesn’t beef up growth management rules and lock up more land in conservation, the future should warm the hearts of the asphalt and shingle crowd. So says the study.
Another 7-million acres would be developed, leading to a doubling of the population from 18-million to 36-million.
That’s a lot less Mayberry and a lot more Manhattan.
Source:
www.sptimes.com
