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,…
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…
One Region, One Voice
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.…
Gateway Master Plan Implementation Moves Forward
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…
A Brave New World of Online Public Engagement
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…
Funding For Our Future
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…
Who decides for your community? State law vs. local regulation
By Linda Fisher Who decides whether the house next door to yours can be used as an Airbnb? Or a home-based business? Or whether a new house needs to…
Proposed Law Would Put Pedestrians At Risk
Florida is in the middle of its legislative session for 2021, which ends on April 30. During this time each year, state lawmakers debate whether to pass bills that could…
The Traffic Counts Are In
“Traffic just keeps getting worse!” This is a phrase that we hear a lot at Forward Pinellas because one of our primary responsibilities is to plan for a transportation system…
Al Bartolotta celebrates 32 years of creating positive change in Pinellas County
Forward Pinellas Division Manager Al Bartolotta is retiring next month after a 32-year career in urban planning. He started with the Pinellas County Planning Department in 1988, where he worked…
Community Speaks Out on Downtown Mobility
Interactive Survey Demonstrates the Downtown St. Petersburg Community’s Preferences, Needs and Opportunities Plans to improve mobility and accessibility in Downtown St. Petersburg are well underway! Earlier this year, Forward Pinellas launched the Downtown St. Petersburg…
Racism in Urban Planning
Preface ~Whit Blanton, Executive Director In this piece, Forward Pinellas senior manager Al Bartolotta lays out the sad history of how city planning and laws influencing urban and regional planning…
