After speaking loud and clear "our community needs clear vision" at the first Imagine 2040 workshop, the working group dug into the future alternatives that will ultimately build a clear vision for our region. The second interactive workshop kicked off one simple question...



Transportation, jobs and the economy, and quality of life priorities dominated the responses to "What is the most important thing to you when thinking about the future of Hillsborough County?" Some responses are pictured above. Some of the others are listed below:

• Education and job growth that retains local talent and sustains the economy
• A viable transportation system as the backbone for future growth and development
• Having a great downtown
• Mobility as I grow old and can not drive
• Protect environmentally important lands
• Open space / agriculture
• To be able to get around the community relatively easily without needing a car
• Move the urban service area along major corridors such as I-4, I-75, HWY 60

Working together in small groups, our 'planning imagineers' then plunged into the pros and cons of various growth strategies on future alternatives for our region. In three rounds, outward growth similar to recent decades, infill and redevelopment focused around transit, and new job centers on major corridors were the topics at hand. Lines drawn on maps reflected how each growth strategy will affect where people will live, work, shop and play.

 

 

Ideas were flying across the tables on the strengths, weaknesses and what could be added to enhance each future alternative.

 

 

Ideas generated by the Imagine 2040 Working Group will be incorporated into three future alternatives that will ultimately be presented to all of the businesses and residents in Hillsborough County later this year. More results from the workshop will be featured in the next issue of Beyond Today and posted online at:

 

planhillsborough.org/plan2040

 

Thanks to you, we have been chosen as a Constant Contact All Star! So, what is Constant Contact? It's the way we send out our ePublications, like this one, as well as most of our meeting and event notices. Each year, Constant Contact bestows the All Star Award to a select group of businesses and nonprofits who successfully leverage online marketing tools to engage their customer base (you!). It means we are among the top 10% of 500,000 organizations internationally who use this service by having consistently high open rates and regular contact with you using a variety of communication tools. Thank you for placing value on our interactions and the information we share. We truly appreciate your commitment to improving the quality of life in our community!  

The Federal HighwayAdministration (FHWA) selected the Hillsborough County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), in collaboration with the Planning Commission, Hillsborough County, the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, and the University of South Florida, to be a pilot project to assess our transportation system's resiliency to extreme weather.  The project's purpose is to develop strategies to offset the effects of inland flooding, storm surge, and sea level rise. The FHWA selection was based on a $132,000 grant proposal, which the MPO will use to help identify mitigation projects for the Plan Hillsborough 2040 Transportation Plan.

 

Will we change our name?
Will Brendan McLaughlin still officiate our ceremonies?
Will Ray Chiaramonte sing during dinner?

Only time will tell! Look for this year's Call for Entries in June and Invitations in September. But for now, you can...

Save this date!

October 17, 2013