By Linda Fisher, AICP When you hear the words “industrial land,” what do you think of? If the words conjure up images of smokestacks and noisy factories, think again. In Pinellas County, industrial land holds everything from financial service offices to software developers to research labs. And while we have plenty of manufacturing, the technology…
By Whit Blanton, FAICP One thing we’ve learned from the last two years is the critically important 4-way intersection of community, economics, transportation, and health. Through a global pandemic, economic upheaval, and political and social unrest, our residents, businesses and institutions across Florida and throughout Tampa Bay are adapting to new realities that we did…
By Whit Blanton, FAICP and Angela Ryan At the City of Dunedin City Commission Workshop, Tuesday, December 12, 2021, Mayor Buljalski and her fellow commissioners put their words into action, first with the adoption of the Safe Streets Pinellas Action Plan and then with the approval of a midblock traffic signal at the intersection of…
By Whit Blanton, FAICP Regional leaders formally renewed discussions of developing passenger rail in Tampa Bay with state officials from the Florida Department of Transportation last week. The meeting, hosted by the Sun Coast Transportation Planning Alliance (SCTPA), focused on the rail tracks owned and operated by CSX, the national freight rail conglomerate, renewing a…
By Whit Blanton, FAICP During the last two sessions, the Florida Legislature has introduced and advanced bills that purport to be about pedestrian safety by modifying or restricting use of certain safe crossing devices at mid-block crosswalks. These bills actually run counter to improving pedestrian safety, using a tragic fatality to keep Florida’s roadways “dangerous…
By Angela Ryan My first experience with micromobility was with an e-scooter share program in Washington, D.C. I was working on assignment in the Nation’s capital, and it would take me hours by car to get from my apartment to the office. Eventually, I realized an e-scooter was the most efficient way to travel to…
By Amy Elmore The 4th annual Gulf Coast Safe Streets Summit is going hybrid and it’s free! The Sun Coast Transportation Planning Alliance (SCTPA) is bringing together industry leaders, elected officials, policymakers, planners, businesses, nonprofits and residents to encourage safety and accessibility for everyone in our region, providing an opportunity for education, partnership and collaboration. …
By Chelsea Favero, AICP We’ve all been there. Maybe you’re trying to get your kids to school in Pasco and then drive through rush-hour traffic to your job in Tampa. Maybe you’re looking forward to making that cross-county trip to hit the beaches or see a show this weekend. Maybe you can’t wait to go…
By Christina Mendoza The Gateway Area of Pinellas County is an economic engine for the County, a home to many, the 2nd largest employment district in the region, and when combined with Westshore across the bay, is the largest employment area in the Southeast after Atlanta. But behind this beautiful stage brimming with economic potential…
By Rodney Chatman, AICP In 2020 Forward Pinellas entered into a business partnership with the University of South Florida’s College of Social Sciences to provide annual support for an internship program within the Department of Urban and Regional Planning. This was an important step to create a formal internship program with the Tampa Bay region’s…
By Amy Elmore I want to tell you a secret. I’m terrified of social media. I know… I know… I’m a communications & outreach manager – how can I fear social media? But the truth is, I see the power behind it. One post on Twitter can calm a protest or panic a city. It…
By Chelsea Favero, AICP The most common question I get asked is, what does Forward Pinellas do? That’s quite a loaded question because we’re involved in so many facets of our community, but my usual answer is first and foremost doing whatever we can to make a better quality of life for our community now…