Upcoming Events
Reconnecting with the St. Johns River
The St. Johns River is so much a part of our Central Florida landscape and history that we may sometimes take it for granted. Please join us on November 12 to talk with friends from along the river about efforts to protect and enhance this natural treasure. Former Mayor John Delaney of Jacksonville, who chairs the St. Johns River Alliance, will be our keynote speaker and will be joined by other experts. I look forward to seeing you there!
To see the flyer click here (.pdf)
Past Events
With the announcement that the State of Florida will purchase 187,000 acres of agricultural land south of Lake Okeechobee from U.S.Sugar, the Everglades restoration plan takes on new life. Join us for information and analysis from Michael Grunwald, correspondent for Time Magazine and author of the much-acclaimed book "The Swamp." We'll have other experts on hand as well, and look forward to seeing you at the Metro Center's first fall forum.
To see the flyer click here (.pdf)
What if we could develop a pathway from the urban centers of Orlando and Orange County, through the waters of Shingle Creek, connecting to the parks and natural lands of Kissimmee and Osceola County, traveling the shores and blueways of the restored Kissimmee River to the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail and beyond to the Everglades? What if we could demonstrate the connections and movement of water in Florida; advance the cause of ecotourism in our state; and provide an outstanding outdoor experience for our residents and visitors?
UCF's Metropolitan Center for Regional Studies and the Trust for Public Lands invite you to join other partners in discussing the possibilities.
Imagine the Possibilities: The Everglades Trail
Date: Tuesday, April 29
Time: 8:30-Noon
Place: Leu Gardens, Orlando
Event Flyer
Hope to see you at this event, because we're going to need everyone's ideas to make this work.
This forum is free and open to the public. Please RSVP at 407-823-2741 or by email at metro@mail.ucf.edu
Mark your calendar! This fall we will be engaging the Central Florida community in discussions about issues critical to the future of our state: "Land, Water, Power: Florida's Threatened Resources." The first forum, on September 20, will feature Anthony Flint, author of "This Land: The Battle over Sprawl and the Future of America" and former Boston Globe journalist, now at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. He will discuss growth patterns and the built environment in the context of dwindling energy resources and climate change, tailored to address Florida's past, present and future.
The second forum, on November 1, will take up water resource issues with a keynote address by Cynthia Barnett, author of " Mirage: Florida and the Vanishing Water of the Eastern U.S." Ms. Barnett has been a reporter and editor for twenty years. Since 1998, she's written for Florida Trend magazine, where she covers investigative, environmental, public policy and business stories.
The final forum, on November 29, will focus on Florida's growing energy crisis and feature noted author and social critic James Howard Kunstler. Famous for his book "The Long Emergency," and his sometimes controversial views on urban and suburban development, Kunstler's discussion promises to be engaging AND exciting for all who attend.
All events will take place at Leu Gardens in Orlando. Please see the attached flyer for further information. We hope to see you there!
Poverty in Central Florida
In a departure from our recent focus on growth and the environment, the Metro Center turns to another social policy issue: "Poverty in Central Florida: Work, Wages and Well-Being Among the Region's Low and Moderate Income Families." Dr. Jim Wright will share the findings of an important survey that we, along with several partners, commissioned from the Institute of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Central Florida. If the country is indeed headed towards a recession, the subjects of this study will be the first ones impacted. Please join us!
Time: Wednesday, March 5, 8:30 to Noon
Place: Camellia Room, Orlando's Leu Gardens
RSVP: metro@mail.ucf.edu or 407-823-2741
The forum is free and open to the public.
Carl Hiaasen
January 25, 2006; 8:00 AM to noon
The Ballroom at Church Street
Jan. 17, 2006, By UCF Staff
Three-time Pulitzer Prize nominee Carl Hiaasen will deliver the keynote address Wednesday, Jan. 25, at an environmental forum that will feature a discussion about seven places in the region that are among the most critical to preserve.
Sponsored by UCF's Metropolitan Center for Regional Studies and myregion.org, "Naturally Central Florida: Fitting the Pieces Together" will bring together land managers from seven Central Florida counties and experts from around the state to discuss plans for saving environmentally sensitive areas.
The forum will be from 8 a.m. to noon at The Ballroom at Church Street, 225 S. Garland Ave., Orlando. The forum is free and open to the public, although space is limited. Reservations should be made by calling the Metropolitan Center at 407-823-2741.
Speakers will include Audubon of Florida's Charles Lee; Jacob Stuart, president of the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce; and Randy Lyon, chairman of myregion.org and a Central Florida developer.
The Metropolitan Center and myregion.org are engaged in a series of activities centered on the question, "How shall we grow?" in Central Florida, and on a study by the University of Pennsylvania that produced three key recommendations: Plan for alternative forms of transportation, allow more developments such as condominiums and townhouses that have higher densities, and acquire and preserve more land.
"Naturally Central Florida: Fitting the Pieces Together" is a follow up to the study's recommendation that Central Florida needs to invest in open space and environmental lands to protect the water supply, maintain key ecosystems and create edges for communities to avoid sprawl.
The study area includes Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole and Volusia counties.
The Metropolitan Center and myregion.org began to identify the "must save" places in the region more than a year ago. Counties, environmental groups, landowners and businesspeople have helped with that effort. Strategies to preserve the selected land could include outright purchases; working with landowners to purchase only development rights, which would allow farming and ranching to continue; or transferring development rights to more urban areas.
"The state of Florida has done a good job of investing in open space through Preservation 2000 and Florida Forever," said Linda Chapin, director of the Metropolitan Center. "But we must finish the job to protect the investment. The next five to 10 years are critical."
Hiaasen, a Florida native, has been a columnist at the Miami Herald since 1985. He has written eight best-selling novels, including "Sick Puppy, "Skinny Dip" and "Strip Tease."