Executive Director's Message

The Planning Commission has been working hard to advance the work of building a sustainable Hillsborough County.  Working with our partners, we are planning for a more energy efficient future with expanded housing and transportation options with an expansion of green jobs and high tech industries.  Hillsborough County has the potential to be the leader in sustainability for the State of Florida, but only with the wide-ranging commitment by all of our partners can this become a reality. 

Our economy is changing; new technologies and industries are being developed.  In order for Hillsborough to thrive and prosper it’s vital to take the lead now, in this economic downturn, and be prepared for the coming expansion in sustainable technology development and manufacturing that will drive the 21st century economy.  Over the past year, the Planning Commission, working with Hillsborough County and the cities of Tampa, Temple Terrace, and Plant City, has helped shape the vision for the Interstate-4 Florida Green Tech Corridor Study that can potentially transform the I-4 Corridor into a well integrated hub of activity for high-tech and “green” industries.  New performance criteria are being developed to encourage sustainable building and site design and attract appropriate new industries to our county. 

Part of the path toward a more sustainable and economically vibrant Hillsborough County will be the development commuter rail, high speed rail, and a vastly improved bus system.  With rail in place, our community will see increased development around rail stations.  We are now in the early stages of coordinating land use and a potentially greatly improved mass transit system through the concept known as Transit Oriented Development (TOD).  Expect the topic to be more widely discussed in the coming months as we travel around the county to educate the public on the concept of TOD and receive feedback.  Working with citizens we will define what new development around transit stations should look like, how it will serve the surrounding communities, how it will blend seamlessly with adjacent neighborhoods, and how it will provide efficient connections that will allow citizens to use mass transit instead of automobiles.  

Another aspect to a sustainable Hillsborough County is promoting infill development thus reducing our reliance on our agricultural lands and open space to meet future development needs.  In August, the Planning Commission completed the last in a four part series of public workshops designed to identify ways in which local governments can facilitate infill development.  The workshops went a step further in that they also identified recommendations to facilitate sustainable planning and site design that can be utilized across all forms of development.  The workshop results will be used to provide a list of recommendations local governments can implement to modify land development codes and zoning regulations to make them “greener” and promote the use of existing vacant parcels within the Urban Service Boundary.

A new economy is emerging in the 21st century, and with the help of the each of you, we are working to make Hillsborough County the leader in the state of Florida.  With the Planning Commission at the forefront, we are laying the groundwork for a sustainable and successful transit system, diversification of our local economy through green industries, and limiting the need for sprawl by encouraging development in areas serviced by existing water, sewer, roads, schools, and parks.  Transition to a new economy will not be easy, but working together we can build a sustainable future.      

Robert B. Hunter, FAICP
Executive Director