About Us

The Smart Growth Partnership consists of citizens, professionals, and representatives from many organizations who believe growth can be better planned to give us livable, sustainable communities. We are taking a lead in keeping alive the shared vision created during the Vision Broward economic development partnership project. That project stressed many aspects of quality of life issues that need to be addressed in a holistic way. Smart Growth Partnership will enable the community to develop by combining a community-shared vision for the future with principles of Smart Growth.
We have received grants from the Urban Land Institute, the Realtors Assoc., the Sun Sentinel Diversity Venture Fund for our city project, and from the South Florida Regional Resource Center.

Overview of organization
There are many efforts underway throughout the County that are focused on issues like transit, affordable housing, the environment, water supply/quality, health and education.
Smart Growth Partnership recognizes there is a need for a broad representative group from the community that brings everyone, all concerned parties, together to take a larger look at how to work collaboratively in an effort to create livable, sustainable communities. Effective advocacy, information access, education, partnerships, and community empowerment are needed to create the political will to make changes that will promote, guide, and direct growth and redevelopment in Broward County.

Mission Statement
Smart Growth Partnership is a collaborative of diverse professionals and organizations created to provide leadership and education and to promote livable and sustainable communities in Broward County. To that end, the partnership will support the principles of Smart Growth for Broward County and the south Florida region.

Goals of Organization
BSGP is an umbrella organization dedicated to unite individuals and groups that work within development and growth-related disciplines to produce livable communities. BSGP seeks to educate elected officials and the public as to the principles of Smart Growth by:

Encouraging the development of consensus driven, community based
    growth and redevelopment plans
Promotion of transportation alternatives
Identifying and promoting alternatives for school sprawl
Providing more high quality affordable housing
Adopting "Smart" building codes
Encouraging developers to build places with quality designs, diverse materials, and product variety
Encouraging and educating citizens to support smart growth initiatives
Asking citizens to locate within neighborhoods with transportation options
Asking citizens to support neighborhood businesses

The Partnership will be a forum to raise public awareness, promote smart growth best practices, develop and share information, policies, tools, and ideas and cultivate strategies to address barriers to advance opportunities for Smart Growth.

Committees and Chairmen
Finance – Sid Spiro
Marketing and PR
Regional Outreach – Devin Avery
Special City Project of West Park – Ralph Johnson
Nominating Committee – Gloria Katz
Education Outreach – Peg McPherson
Certification Project – Barry Heimlich and Michael Madfis

See Contact Us page for chairmen and contact information.

Sign up by contacting GloriaKatz@smartgrowthpartnership.org

Founding Fathers
Gloria Katz, Ron Drew, Adam Sanders, Marianne Winfield, Ralph Johnson, Cyril "Sid" Spiro, Lou Orosz, Peg McPherson, Gary Rogers, Devin Avery, Barry Heinlich.