Join Us to Make Alt US 19 Work for Our Community
Share your thoughts on Forward Pinellas’s new plan – Advantage Alt 19.
(Closed) Public Comments for Forward Pinellas’s Public Participation Plan
Share your thoughts with us about the Forward Pinellas’s Public Participation Plan
The Downtown St. Petersburg Mobility Study Identifies Project Priorities for Consideration
By Christina Mendoza, AICP As one of Florida’s most unique and vibrant communities, demand for office, housing and services in downtown St. Petersburg, or DTSP, continues to grow. At the same time, people are looking for more ways to travel in and around the community in a safe and efficient manner. Therefore, now more than…
Forward Pinellas and Pinellas County Launch Urban Design Services Pilot Program
By Nousheen Rahman Forward Pinellas and the Pinellas County Department of Housing & Community Development have partnered to develop an Urban Design Services Pilot Program for 2022-2023. Urban design encompasses many things but is ultimately all about creating the physical spaces that we live in and includes everything from the design of buildings, pedestrian paths,…
Staying Above Water: Housing Affordability and Resiliency
By Linda Fisher, AICP It’s no secret that housing costs in Tampa Bay have soared in the last few years. Everywhere, it seems, people are struggling to find housing wherever they can. At the same time, communities are facing the need to adapt to rising sea levels and other threats from a changing climate. Real…
Forward Pinellas works to restart Ferry service in Pinellas County
By Christina Mendoza, AICP Home to world-renowned beaches, incredible marine life, and beautiful amenities, with more than 15 million visitors each year, Pinellas County is truly known as a waterfront paradise. However, driving to and from our coastal communities can be time-consuming and frustrating both for Pinellas County residents and tourists, and there are very…
New state laws will impact local communities
By Linda Fisher, AICP The 2022 Florida Legislative Session ended on March 14. While it received the most attention for a handful of bills dealing with controversial topics such as LGBTQ education and abortion, the session also saw passage of new “local preemption” bills that will affect how local communities govern themselves. The bills below…
Pinellas Population Hits New Heights
By Jared Austin Attend any planning-related meeting and I guarantee someone will say the phrase “growth and redevelopment.” Whether it’s the gorgeous sunshine, incredible amenities, or the vibrant communities, we are constantly planning for an ever-growing population. Over the past decade, 2.7million people have moved to Florida and as the 7th largest county, Pinellas has…
Florida Legislature debates key legislation this session
By Linda Fisher, AICP The 2022 Florida Legislative Session started on January 11 and although more than 3,500 bills have been filed, fewer than 100 bills will most likely become new laws. As we do each year, the Forward Pinellas Legislative Committee is tracking bills that may have an impact on Pinellas County’s local and…
Who cares about industrial land?
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…
Turning Words into Action
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…
Next Steps for Passenger Rail in Florida and Tampa Bay
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…