Introduction to South Florida Planning Symposium Blog

 I have been a professional urban planner since 2003; I have taught various aspects of urban planning since 2013. The profession, on the whole, is highly analytical. We are trained to analyze data and make inferences and recommendations based on the analysis of objective data. We are also trained to engage the public to elicit their values and goals for their community. Subjective experience, generally, is not a priority.

But one of the major goals of urban planning - quality of life - is notably difficult to measure and difficult to define. The academic literature has not arrived at a consensus about how to define or measure quality of life. Besides, surveys of the general public are notably difficult to pull off, with low response rates and quick participant burnout. Although I do think cities should regularly survey their citizenry about quality of life concerns, I think we need other ways of understanding quality of life.

I am starting this blog to share my own personal and subjective experience of quality of life here in south Florida. In no way do I claim for this to be unbiased. It is one person's perspective, and biased in all the ways that I am - for example, I am male, and white, and cis gender. Also, I am relatively well off, owning my own home and in a secure position. All of these factors mean that there are certainly many blind spots in my perspective.

However, I am hoping, at least, to grow this into a symposium. That is a place where different perspectives are shared relative to the experience of quality of life in south Florida. I hope to facilitate reasoned and respectful dialogue across a multiplicity of perspectives. If you are interested in writing a guest column here, please let me know.

The topics this blog will cover are centered on the built environment and the natural environment and how we manage these through policies, particularly at the state, county, and city level. But the focus will be on subjective experience - what's it actually like to live, work, play, shop, and socialize here in south Florida? How does what we've built make it more pleasant or less pleasant to live here? Again, my many biases - including many less visible ones - will certainly be felt throughout this blog. I in no way suggest that my opinion should be considered the final word on these matters. But I do hope to elucidate how what we've built continues to shape us in ways seen and unseen. I do hope to educate and be educated via this blog.

A couple of comments on ground rules. A healthy dialogue across differences includes some commonly agreed upon ground rules to ensure respect and relevancy. I am definitely open to suggestions about changing the ground rules, but the principles of respect and relevancy remain paramount.

The two ground rules I would suggest for beginning are that posts and comments should not include attacks on persons or groups, and that national political figures are off-topic. Our national political discourse is so degraded, it is almost impossible to have a civil and respectful discussion on those topics. Besides, for the most part national policies are not central to the issues of our concern here.

Instead, I encourage you to share what it is you enjoy or find frustrating about living here in south Florida. How do you find our neighborhoods, our streets, our cities? Have we built the paradise so many are seeking when they come here? What is your daily experience like, and how is it shaped by the built and natural environment and the policies we have around the built environment?

Location: Boca Raton, FL, USA

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