Issue 43 | June  2017   
FLiP 2017 introduces students to planning careers
On May 31, the Planning Commission kicked off FLiP 2017, our Future Leaders in Planning student leadership development program. Designed as an opportunity to introduce high school students to urban planning as a potential career, the annual FLiP program expanded from nine to eighteen students and from a two-day to a three-day intensive program in just its second year. A big hit with the students, FLiP offered a broad exposure to planning from both public and private sector perspectives across many fields.
 
Day 1 highlights |   
Day 2 highlights |
Day 3 highlights |
A huge thanks to our partners - Hillsborough County Public Schools, ULI Tampa Bay, and Sun Coast Section - APA Florida - and all of our contributors! Thank you for giving us a lift, literally to HART and the School District. Finally, a shout out to our amazing students! Our future is in great hands... We are looking forward to FLiP 2018!

View more #FLiPlanning 2017 photos  »
On June 6, we presented the City of Temple Terrace with the only Gold Level recognition from  the American Planning Association's (APA) Comprehensive Plan Standards for Sustaining Places Recognition Program for the Imagine 2040: Temple Terrace Comprehensive Plan.
Tampa City Council receives APA award and gives Commendation
On June 8, we presented the City of Tampa City Council with recognition from  the American Planning Association's (APA) Comprehensive Plan Standards for Sustaining Places Recognition Program for the Imagine 2040: Tampa Comprehensive Plan. We were honored to receive a Tampa City Council Commendation for outstanding services to the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County. The commendation recognized the national accolades on the plan that will assure a sustainable future as well as exceptional work for our community and our City.


On June 14, we presented Mayor Bob Buckhorn and our planning partners on the City of Tampa staff with the official APA recognition of our collaboration on the Imagine 2040: Tampa Comprehensive Plan.
2016 Quality of Life Survey results are in!
The Quality of Life Survey began in 2002 to measure public perception of the quality of life in Hillsborough County. The Survey was designed by a statistical consultant. For consistency, the Survey has not been modified and still uses eighteen factors chosen and ranked by a focus group of County residents in 2002. Each year, the Survey asks additional questions of interest. 2016's area of special interest focused on health and accessibility: the ability of residents to access healthy food options and medical care, and whether their neighborhoods are considered safe for pedestrians.

Nine factors, including the Overall Quality of Life factor, received statistically higher quality scores reflecting the respondents' more favorable perception of these factors in 2016. Four factors, including Transportation System, received low quality scores, while the remaining five factors were perceived as the same. Interestingly, fourteen factors received the highest overall quality score since the inception of the Survey. For example, this year the Entertainment factor received a score of 3.51, the highest average score of all the factors since the survey began.

View the 2016 Quality of Life Survey results »
Aetna features #GardenSteps in foundation video
To help improve public health through our communities, the Aetna Foundation teamed up with the American Public Health Association and the National Association of Counties for a Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge. In September 2016, the Hillsborough Metropolitan Planning Organization was one of 50 cities and counties selected to receive a $10,000 community seed grant to implement a program that will demonstrate measurable improvements around key social determinants of health.

With partners - the City of Tampa, Florida Department of Health-Hillsborough, HART, the Planning Commission, and the Coalition of Community Gardens - the focus of Garden Steps is on neighborhood access to fresh produce. The Aetna Foundation recently featured Garden Steps at the Tampa Heights Community Garden - just two of the 50 projects participating in the Healthiest Cities Challenge! 

Watch the Aetna Foundation video »


Call for Entries
Planning Commission
35th Annual Planning & Design Awards
presented by Tampa Electric & Peoples Gas 

Save the Date!
Thursday, October 19, 2017 |  Winners Announced  
T Pepin's Hospitality Centre | 4121 N 50th Street | Tampa
Tampa Bay Times Reception | 6:15 p.m.  
Dinner & Presentation of Awards   |  7:15 p.m. 

hosted by
Brendan McLaughlin



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