The Urban/Suburban Tier lies along the coast and occupies less than one-quarter of the County. It includes cities with moderate to high densities, to lower density, unincorporated suburbs located inland.

To manage growth, this Tier's main objective is to create communities that will accommodate the homes and work places of 90 percent of the County's residents. To avoid premature development, protect the environment, and preserve agricultural lands outside this Tier, strategies permit interim agricultural uses and require transfers of development rights as the only way to increase density within this Tier.

While existing regulations allow low density, automobile-oriented suburban neighborhoods, this Tier also promotes infill development and strengthens provisions to promote traditional mixed-use, compact, pedestrian-friendly communities. To enhance pedestrian and vehicular mobility to work places and shops, the strategies of this Tier prevent additional strip development by requiring new mid-block commercial to develop as a mix use project. It also improves the design requirements for commercial sites to increase transit accessibility and pedestrian orientation, and permits neighborhood commercial uses in residential areas.

With 37 municipalities in this Tier, strategies also target intergovernmental coordination for transportation planning (including Transit Oriented Development), economic development, brownfield issues, as well as provisions to locate schools in close proximity to residents.

A smaller area of the Urban/Suburban Tier is located adjacent to Lake Okeechobee on the County's western border. This area includes several small agriculture towns. Strategies promote continued economic diversification by allowing for a range of land uses, flexibility of development regulations, coordinated land use planning, cultural preservation, greenways planning, and area beautification.

Redevelopment/ Revitalization Overlay

Objectives and Policies

Urban/Suburban Tier (Obj. 1.2, page 10)

Urban Service Area (Obj. 3.2, page 71)

Comprehensive Plan

Exurban Tier / Back / Tier Summary