40 Years In: The Story of Growth Management In Florida, And Its Next Chapter

September 16, 2026

Forty years ago, Florida built one of the most ambitious growth management systems in the country. Four decades later, much of that framework has been rolled back, and the 2027 Florida legislative session could reshape what remains.

During this opening session of the 2026-2027 John M. DeGrove memorial webinar series, we heard from the attorneys and planners who helped build and defend Florida’s growth management framework tracing where it came from, what it accomplished, and how it has changed over the years.

1000 Friends of Florida’s Board Chair, Susan Trevarthen (Weiss Serota Helfman Cole & Bierman), moderated a discussion with land use attorney Nancy Stroud, who walked us through what the law actually does, with Tim Jackson, 1000 Friends of Florida’s Treasurer and longtime community planner, discussed how sound planning builds better communities and protects the places Floridians treasure. We concluded the program with Kimberleigh Dinkins, our Policy & Planning Director, about what lies ahead, including the possible reworking of Chapter 163 in future legislative sessions.

This event was approved for the following professional certification credits for those who attended the live webinar: 

American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP CM 1.5, incl. 1 CM Law, #9333739)
Florida Bar (1.5 General CLE #2609824N)
Florida Landscape Architects (1.5 DBPR Credits #0016034)
and Certified Floodplain Managers (1 CEC).