Alternative Text Description for Developed in 2020 (Baseline Development)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAP OVERVIEW

This map displays the baseline representation of developed lands in Florida as they existed in 2019. The map shows the spatial distribution of urban and suburban development across the entire state, created as part of the Sea Level 2040/2070 project. This baseline layer serves as a reference point for understanding existing development patterns before projecting future growth scenarios that account for sea level rise and population changes.

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

The map encompasses the entire state of Florida and portions of neighboring states including southern Georgia and Alabama. Major cities labeled on the map include Jacksonville on the northeast coast, Orlando in the central region, Tampa on the west-central coast, Cape Coral in the southwest, and Miami in the southeast. The map shows Florida's distinctive peninsula shape bordered by the Gulf of America to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, with the Straits of Florida visible at the southern tip. Smaller labeled locations include Dothan and Albany in Georgia, and Valdosta near the Florida-Georgia border. Palm Bay appears on the east coast near the Space Coast area, and St. Petersburg is visible near Tampa.

KEY INSIGHTS

Development in Florida displays a strong coastal orientation with the highest concentrations along both the Atlantic and Gulf of America coastlines. The most intensive development clusters appear in the southeast around Miami and the Gold Coast, the Tampa Bay metropolitan area on the west coast, and Jacksonville in the northeast. Central Florida shows significant development around Orlando and along the Interstate 4 corridor connecting Tampa and Orlando. The interior portions of the Florida peninsula and the Panhandle region show considerably less development with more scattered patterns. A notable gap in development exists in the south-central region corresponding to the Everglades and Lake Okeechobee areas. The pattern reveals Florida's characteristic urban sprawl along transportation corridors and waterfront areas.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

Developed in 2020 (Baseline Development)

This layer represents all areas that were developed for urban and suburban uses as of 2019.

Developed Lands (shown in red)

Appearance:

Small red points and polygons of varying sizes distributed across the state, with denser clustering appearing as more solid red areas in urban centers.

Distribution:

Development is concentrated primarily along Florida's coastlines, with the heaviest concentrations in southeast Florida (Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Palm Beach area), the Tampa Bay region, the Orlando metropolitan area, Jacksonville, and Cape Coral-Fort Myers. Linear development patterns follow major transportation corridors. The Florida Panhandle shows more dispersed development with clusters around major cities.

Notable locations:

Spatial patterns:

Development follows a predominantly coastal distribution with linear corridors extending inland along major highways. Urban cores show dense clustering that transitions to scattered suburban patterns at the periphery. Interior agricultural and conservation lands show minimal development. The pattern demonstrates typical sprawl characteristics with development spreading outward from established urban centers along transportation networks.

Overlapping Patterns

Development patterns show the strongest overlap with coastal areas and major transportation corridors. Urban centers serve as nuclei from which development radiates outward. The absence of development in south-central Florida corresponds to protected wetland areas and Lake Okeechobee.

SYMBOL GUIDE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This map represents the baseline scenario from the Sea Level 2040/2070 project, which examines future land use patterns under different development scenarios while accounting for sea level rise impacts. The baseline captures 2019 conditions to provide a reference point for comparing alternative future scenarios including Sprawl 2040/2070 and Conservation 2040/2070. This dataset is used to analyze how population growth and sea level rise may affect available lands for development, conservation, agriculture, and the potential need for population relocation. The map focuses solely on the developed lands layer and does not display other land use categories such as agriculture or conservation lands that are part of the larger project.

DATA CONTEXT

Data Source:

This dataset was developed by the University of Florida's Center for Landscape Conservation Planning in collaboration with 1000 Friends of Florida and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services as part of the Sea Level 2040/2070 project. The data represents developed land patterns from 2019 and serves as the baseline for future scenario modeling. Population projection data used in the project was produced by the Florida Bureau of Economic and Business Research (BEBR). Data source layer: SL2040_2070_BASELINE_MAY23.

Definition Query:

No definition query or filter criteria was applied. The map displays the complete baseline development dataset for 2019.

Scale Information:

The map shows statewide coverage at a scale suitable for regional planning analysis. Individual development parcels are visible as point features, with denser urban areas appearing as aggregated clusters.

Coordinate System:

NAD_1983_HARN_Florida_GDL_Albers (WKID 3087).

Time Period of Content:

The data represents developed lands as they existed in 2019, establishing the baseline condition for the Sea Level 2040/2070 project scenarios.

Limitations:

This dataset represents a baseline snapshot of 2019 development patterns and does not reflect development that occurred after that date. The level of detail and accuracy may vary across different regions of the state depending on source data quality. This map displays only the developed lands layer and does not show other land use categories, natural features, or projected sea level rise impacts that are part of the complete Sea Level 2040/2070 analysis.

Map Coverage:

The map covers the entire state of Florida from the Georgia and Alabama borders in the north to the Florida Keys in the south, and from the Gulf of America coast in the west to the Atlantic coast in the east. Portions of southern Georgia and Alabama are visible for geographic context but development data is only mapped for Florida.

The alternative text description of this map was AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies.