Alternative Text Description for Generalized Land Use (2017)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAP OVERVIEW

This map displays generalized land use patterns across the state of Florida for 2017. The dataset consolidates 99 specific parcel-based land use classifications into 15 broader categories to provide a comprehensive view of how land throughout Florida is utilized. The map reveals the distribution of agricultural lands, public properties, urban development, water bodies, and other land use types across the entire state.

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

The map covers the entire state of Florida, extending from the panhandle region in the northwest to the Florida Keys in the south. Major cities labeled on the map include Jacksonville on the northeast coast, Orlando in the central region, Tampa and St. Petersburg on the west-central coast, and Miami in the southeast. The map extends slightly beyond Florida's borders to show portions of neighboring states including Georgia and Alabama to the north, and Valdosta and Dothan are visible in these adjacent areas. The eastern coastline along the Atlantic Ocean and the western coastline along the Gulf of America are both clearly visible, as is the southern extent including the Straits of Florida.

KEY INSIGHTS

The map reveals that agriculture (shown in green) is the dominant land use category across much of Florida, particularly in the northern panhandle, central interior regions, and areas surrounding Lake Okeechobee in south-central Florida. Public and semi-public lands (shown in blue) form large concentrated areas, including the Everglades region in southern Florida, extensive holdings in the Big Bend area of the panhandle, and portions of central Florida. Urban development, including residential, commercial, and industrial uses, appears as a complex mosaic of colors concentrated along both coastlines and around major metropolitan areas such as Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa-St. Petersburg, and the Miami metropolitan area. Yellow areas representing "Acreage Not Zoned for Agriculture" are scattered throughout the state but appear more concentrated in certain interior regions. Water bodies (shown in light blue/lavender) are visible throughout the state, including lakes, rivers, and coastal areas.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

Generalized Land Use (2017)

This layer represents the comprehensive land use classification system for Florida, showing how different areas of the state are utilized for various purposes including agriculture, residential, commercial, industrial, public, and other uses.

Agriculture (dark green)

Appearance: Dark green areas

Distribution: Distributed widely across the state with major concentrations in the northern panhandle, the interior regions of central Florida, areas surrounding Lake Okeechobee, and portions of southwest Florida

Notable locations: Extensive agricultural regions in the panhandle west of Tallahassee, large agricultural areas in central Florida between Orlando and the Gulf coast, significant agricultural presence around Lake Okeechobee, and agricultural lands in southwest Florida near Fort Myers and Cape Coral

Spatial patterns: Forms large contiguous blocks in rural areas, particularly in the interior portions of the state, with a more fragmented pattern near urban centers where agriculture intermixes with development

Public/Semi-Public (blue)

Appearance: Bright blue areas

Distribution: Major concentrations in southern Florida (Everglades region), the Big Bend area of the panhandle, and scattered throughout central and northern Florida

Notable locations: The extensive Everglades system in southern Florida, large public land holdings in the Apalachicola National Forest region and Osceola National Forest in the panhandle and northern Florida, the Ocala National Forest in central Florida, and various state and federal lands throughout the peninsula

Spatial patterns: Forms large, consolidated blocks in less developed regions, particularly in environmentally sensitive or protected areas, with smaller parcels scattered throughout more developed regions

Acreage Not Zoned for Agriculture (yellow-green)

Appearance: Yellow-green areas

Distribution: Scattered throughout the state with notable concentrations in certain interior regions

Notable locations: Visible in portions of central Florida and dispersed through various rural areas

Spatial patterns: Appears as smaller parcels or clusters intermixed with agricultural and other land uses, suggesting transitional or undeveloped rural lands

Centrally Assessed (orange)

Appearance: Orange areas

Distribution: Dispersed throughout the state, appearing as small scattered features

Notable locations: Present in various locations across Florida, often appearing as linear features or small clusters

Spatial patterns: Typically appears as isolated parcels or linear corridors, likely representing utility corridors, railroads, or other infrastructure

Residential (light green/cyan)

Appearance: Light green to cyan areas

Distribution: Concentrated in metropolitan areas and along coastlines

Notable locations: Dense concentrations around Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach in southeast Florida; Tampa-St. Petersburg area on the west coast; Jacksonville area in the northeast; Orlando metropolitan area in central Florida; and along both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts

Spatial patterns: Forms dense, complex mosaics in urban and suburban areas, often appearing as fine-grained patterns mixed with other urban land uses, with linear patterns following coastlines and major transportation corridors

Water (light blue/lavender)

Appearance: Light blue to lavender areas

Distribution: Present throughout the state in lakes, rivers, coastal areas, and wetlands

Notable locations: Lake Okeechobee in south-central Florida, numerous lakes in central Florida, coastal waters along both coasts, and wetland areas particularly in southern Florida

Spatial patterns: Appears as both large consolidated water bodies and smaller scattered features, with significant presence in low-lying coastal and wetland areas

Recreation (light green)

Appearance: Light green areas

Distribution: Scattered throughout the state, often near urban centers and coastal areas

Notable locations: Present in various locations across Florida, often associated with parks, golf courses, and recreational facilities

Spatial patterns: Typically appears as discrete parcels of varying sizes, often located within or adjacent to residential areas

Other (orange)

Appearance: Orange areas

Distribution: Scattered throughout the state in various locations

Notable locations: Visible in portions of the Miami area and other locations statewide

Spatial patterns: Appears as isolated parcels or small clusters representing land uses that don't fit into other categories

Industrial (light purple/lavender)

Appearance: Light purple to lavender areas

Distribution: Concentrated in urban and port areas

Notable locations: Present in major metropolitan areas including Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville, and Orlando

Spatial patterns: Typically appears in clusters near ports, airports, and major transportation corridors

Retail/Office (pink/magenta)

Appearance: Pink to magenta areas

Distribution: Concentrated in commercial corridors and urban centers

Notable locations: Visible along major commercial corridors in metropolitan areas throughout the state

Spatial patterns: Appears as linear features along major roads and clustered in commercial districts

Institutional (light lavender)

Appearance: Light lavender areas

Distribution: Dispersed throughout urban and suburban areas

Notable locations: Present in cities and towns across Florida, representing schools, hospitals, government facilities, and other institutional uses

Spatial patterns: Appears as discrete parcels scattered throughout developed areas

Vacant Non-Residential (light gray/lavender)

Appearance: Light gray to lavender areas

Distribution: Scattered throughout the state

Notable locations: Present in various locations, often in areas experiencing development pressure or transition

Spatial patterns: Appears as isolated parcels representing undeveloped land with non-residential zoning

Vacant/Residential (tan/gray)

Appearance: Tan to gray areas

Distribution: Scattered throughout the state, particularly in developing areas

Notable locations: Visible in suburban fringe areas and regions experiencing residential development

Spatial patterns: Often appears in clusters at the edges of developed areas or as infill parcels within existing residential zones

Mining (dark purple/maroon)

Appearance: Dark purple to maroon areas

Distribution: Scattered in specific locations across the state

Notable locations: Present in areas with mineral extraction activities, including phosphate mining regions in central Florida

Spatial patterns: Appears as discrete parcels or clusters in areas with extractive industries

ROW (Right of Way) (black)

Appearance: Black linear features

Distribution: Linear features throughout the state following transportation corridors

Notable locations: Present along major highways, roads, and transportation infrastructure statewide

Spatial patterns: Appears as narrow linear features forming networks that connect urban centers and traverse rural areas

Overlapping Patterns

Urban areas display complex mosaics where residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, and recreational land uses intermix in fine-grained patterns. Coastal regions show distinct patterns where urban development meets water and public lands. The transition zones between urban and rural areas reveal a mix of agricultural lands, residential development, and vacant parcels. In southern Florida, the extensive Everglades system (shown as public lands and water) forms a distinctive pattern adjacent to the heavily urbanized Miami metropolitan area.

SYMBOL GUIDE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This map represents a generalized view of land use across Florida, consolidating detailed parcel-level information into broader categories for statewide analysis and planning purposes. The 15 generalized categories provide a simplified but comprehensive overview of land use patterns that is useful for transportation planning, environmental assessment, and regional analysis. Note that at this statewide scale, individual parcels are not distinguishable, and the map shows aggregate patterns of land use. The fine-grained mosaic visible in urban areas reflects the complex mix of land uses typical of developed metropolitan regions. The data represents a snapshot of land use as of 2017 and reflects conditions at that time.

DATA CONTEXT

Data Source: The data is derived from parcel-specific land use information compiled for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). The original parcel data containing 99 detailed land use classifications was generalized into 15 broader categories to facilitate statewide analysis and mapping. As of 2015, certain land use values were updated: Value 009 was changed to 'Residential Common Elements/Areas' and maintains Generalized Land Use code 11 (Residential); Value 080 was changed to 'Vacant Governmental' and was reclassified from Generalized Land Use code 7 (Other) to code 8 (Public/Semi-Public). Data source layer name: LU_GEN_2017

Definition Query: No definition query or filter criteria was applied to this dataset. The map displays all generalized land use categories for the entire state.

Scale Information: The map shows the entire state of Florida at a regional scale appropriate for statewide land use analysis and planning. At this scale, individual parcels are not visible, and the representation shows aggregate land use patterns across large areas. This level of detail is suitable for understanding regional land use distributions and major patterns but not for parcel-level analysis.

Coordinate System: NAD_1983_HARN_Florida_GDL_Albers (WKID 3087)

Time Period of Content: The data represents land use conditions as of 2017.

Limitations: The generalization from 99 specific land use codes to 15 categories means that some nuanced distinctions between similar land uses are not visible in this dataset. The accuracy of the land use classification depends on the underlying parcel data maintained by local property appraisers and assessors, which may vary in currency and precision across different counties. Changes in land use occurring after 2017 are not reflected in this map. Very small parcels or land uses may not be visible at this statewide mapping scale.

Map Coverage: The map covers the entire state of Florida from the panhandle in the northwest to the Florida Keys in the south, extending from the Atlantic coast to the Gulf of America coast. Small portions of neighboring Georgia and Alabama are visible in the northern extent of the map to provide geographic context. The map includes all of Florida's land area as well as visible water bodies within and surrounding the state.

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