President's Council on Sustainable Development
Metropolitan Initiative Forum, South Florida Region
March 18, 1997 - Miami, Florida
OFF THE WALL NOTES
(TRANSCRIPTION OF EASEL SHEETS)

I. What are we doing now?

  1. Future development's impact on national parks/water quality/transportation - 50-year plan
  2. Water supply - EPA regulatory sturcture needs adaptation to unique circumstance
  3. Governor's Commission
  4. Unique linkage of water & sustainability = multiple cooperative efforts
  5. Food production/large scale/diversity/research/ecosystem restoration/need long-range plan
  6. Linkage needed between agriculture & its users

2. Ib.

  1. Minimal level of participation & understanding of water/space issues.
  2. Elected officials/esp. local/missing
  3. Balkanization of South Florida
  4. Public officials need to be drawn in by "noise"
  5. how to put in language lay people can understand, esp. jobs.
  6. Population of Date is 55% Hispanic, but don't understand local ecosystem
  7. Compatibility between environment & economic development needed; quality of life/jobs/opportunities need to be part of discussion & cooperation

3. Ic.

  1. Bring "knowledge work" to South Florida
  2. Foundations have regional focus; newspaper; HIV-AIDS initiative; Annenber; good network in place
  3. Regional Transportation Network - have elements, but not a system
  4. Transportation affects jobs
  5. Need advocacy journalism re: future
  6. Need to bring others to the table/more diversity in the planning effort
  7. Journalism w/linkage to everyday life
  8. Need Town Hall meetings
  9. "Death by 1000 blows" – need good wake-up call

4. Id.

  1. Transportation assets: airports, ports – need to be competitive for agriculture & tourism
  2. Each country is its won MPO; institutional barrier to cooperation
  3. Encourage telecommuting
  4. Context & Communication: don't have transportation infrastructure; "a study in suburbia" People can't understand what they can do ; no institutional memory have to teach people about what's here.
  5. Local government beginning to make connections; local agencies also
  6. Super Bowl/Olympics private sector initiative; OK on short term; not successful on long term yet
  7. News coverage: stereotypes/fear/shut out/segregation increasing/tied to ability of communities to break away from count government; declining investment in poor areas
  8. CDC's are trying to redevelop neighborhoods, but now suburbs seeing linkage to inner city; CDC's have to be seen as equals/Eastward Ho, Sustainable Everglades are a positive step
  9. Specter of gentrification in inner city
  10. Homeownership? -- or happy with rat-free apartment/reward those who want to help
  11. Summit of the Americas –would bring top private sector to the table.