Photo Credit: Jill Brammer
Sustainable Palm Beach County focuses on FIVE key areas:
Land Use
Palm Beach County, the largest in area east of the Mississippi — covers 1,977 square miles — excluding Lake Okeechobee. It’s larger than Rhode Island and Delaware put together. The County’s southeastern areas are urban. Northeastern, central, and western areas are mainly suburban and rural.
SPBC opposes the depletion of all buildable land. It’s not possible to “grow” more land. We encourage leaders to adopt and commit to sustainable land use policies that preserve open space, farmland, and critical environmental areas that are unique to Palm Beach County. We encourage a robust agriculture industry where farmers employ best practices. We promote enhancement of green space, including parks and natural areas.
We look for opportunities to return land to its natural state. Doing so makes it possible for water to flow freely again into the Everglades and gives residents and tourists more natural areas and green space for recreation.
Photo Credit: Jenna Knobbe
Water Stewardship
Water is one of Florida’s most precious, controversial, sought and fought over resources. Our geography and politics make the state’s water management complicated. Our geological characteristics make for a constant quest for quality. Our weather makes the supply unpredictable.
We’re often awash in water, leading the public to think there’s a never-ending supply. The truth is we face a water shortage. Experts forecast a dire shortage in just 30 years if we don’t think differently about water.
While we’re often awash in water, leading the public to think there’s a never-ending supply, the truth is Florida faces a water shortage.
Understanding that our water policies cannot be separated from those of our surrounding areas, we encourage responsible stewardship of the County’s water resources — ensuring a clean supply and promoting conservation and recycling.
Photo Credit: Palm Beach County ERM
Photo Credit: Palm Beach County ERM
Compact building design
We promote the creation of a range of attractive and livable housing opportunities and choices that offer walkable, bicycle-friendly neighborhoods and high capture rates to mitigate traffic congestion.
In counties to our South, residents spend their days gridlocked in traffic. This is not a future we want.
We champion a smart growth approach to land use planning that promotes compact, transit-oriented urban communities that are attractive and livable without wasteful sprawl.
Green space preservation
When surveyed, Palm Beach County residents say they choose to live here because of the warm weather, the blue water, and green space for recreation. We can’t control the weather; we’re working on the water; and we advocate for seizing every opportunity to add green space for public enjoyment.
The County welcomes many thousands of tourists each year. That’s all to our economic good. But residents are sending a clear message to policymakers: Palm Beach County is our home, not simply a destination. We want to keep our home uncongested, our water clean, and preserve our “green.”
Residents are sending a clear message to policymakers: Palm Beach County is our home. We want to keep our home uncongested, our water clean, and preserve our “green.”
Human Health and Nature
There is strong science suggesting why time spent in nature makes people feel better. It’s no secret that being outdoors and the ability to access green spaces provides numerous benefits to human health, both physically and mentally.
Having daily access to natural areas for recreation and relaxation can boost our quality of life. It can lower stress levels, improve attention, improve our mood, reduce risk of psychiatric disorders, and even increase our sense of empathy. Krista Stump of UF IFAS states, “Being in nature improves short-term memory and relieves stress. When combined with exercise such as a hike, it can ease anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues.”
Sustainable Palm Beach County encourages preservation and conservation of the County’s exceptional natural environments. It works with policy makers and developers to incorporate green spaces into existing urban landscapes and increase accessibility to these areas. “We want all residents to enjoy the health benefits that come from green-space recreation,” says Karen Marcus, “whether playing soccer on County fields, hiking in our parks or kayaking in our blue waters or scenic rivers.”
“Time in nature also improves short-term memory and relieves stress. When combined with exercise such as a hike, it can ease anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues.”
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