1000 Friends of Florida

06/11/2026

"1000 Friends of Florida, a statewide organization that opposed Phipps’ Comp Plan proposal last year, also asked commissioners to delay the public hearing, saying more time was needed for data and analysis....

"Just because a commission years ago made what was probably an ill-advised decision doesn’t mean that they have to keep doubling down on it and use that as precedent to add even more land in [to the urban service area boundary]...”

Tallahassee commissioners set a public hearing for the annexation of 1,700 acres near Lake Jackson, sparking debate over development.

06/10/2026

As a Smart Growth Roundtable member, we're helping raise the alarm on Smart Growth America's new Dangerous by Design report: pedestrian deaths remain near record highs, and most states are growing more dangerous, not less.

Even though the total number of pedestrian deaths slightly decreased from 2022 to 2024, they’re still at some of the highest levels on record in the U.S.

Smart Growth America’s signature report, Dangerous by Design 2026, breaks down the latest federal data. This year’s report finds that most states and metro areas are becoming more dangerous for people walking.

That’s because too few places are adopting proven safety countermeasures at the scale needed to make streets safer and save lives.

Read more in the full report and share with your network: smartgrowthamerica.org/dangerous-by-design/

Smart Growth America
National Complete Streets Coalition

06/10/2026

"We know how to fix this problem. The question is whether we choose to do so. We have to stop underfunding pedestrian infrastructure. Lane capacity cannot be the only measure of a road’s success. No more elected leaders nodding along with complete streets proposals without also shifting budget properties."

The Tampa Bay area and five other Florida metro areas are once again among the worst in the country for pedestrians.

06/10/2026

LEON COUNTY FRIENDS:
Tallahassee city commissioners vote TODAY on whether to start the process for the city's largest annexation since 1996: 1,741 acres of rural land along the Historic North Meridian Canopy Road near Lake Jackson.

The only reason to annex this land is to ramp up its development potential, from the 170 homes currently allowed to thousands more. That raises real questions the city hasn't answered: What happens to traffic on the already congested Meridian Canopy Road? How will it affect water quality on the already impaired Lake Jackson? And what's the true long-term cost to taxpayers for the roads, schools, and services this growth would require?

Ask the commission to postpone the August 26 public hearing so there's time to study the need and the impacts before moving forward. Send your message in two minutes: https://takeaction.io/1000fof/protect-lake-jackson-tell-tallahassee-to-slow-down-rushed-annexation/ #/30

06/10/2026

On June 10, city commissioners will introduce an ordinance that would annex into the city more than 1,700 acres owned by Jeffrey Phipps, a wealthy landowner who filed the annexation request in May.

The area in question includes land bordered in the east by Lake Carr and Mallard Pond, part of the fragile Lake Jackson Aquatic Preserve, and North Meridian Road, one of the county’s protected canopy roads, to the west.

Tallahassee city commissioners will take up an annexation request that would open the door to more development near Lake Jackson and North Meridian Road — a controversial proposition that got shot down last year.

06/09/2026

"Nassau County commissioners approved a 12-month moratorium Monday night on accepting, reviewing or approving applications tied to data center facilities — giving the county time to study potential impacts before deciding how to handle future projects.
The moratorium covers rezoning requests, site plan applications and other submissions related to data center development."

Nassau County commissioners approved a 12-month moratorium Monday night on accepting, reviewing or approving applications tied to data center facilities — giving the county time to study potential impacts before deciding how to handle future projects.

06/08/2026

"But wild places are disappearing fast. A joint study by 1000 Friends of Florida and the University of Florida estimates 190 acres of land could be lost per day to development over the next 50 years."

Wildlife filmmakers and a biologist are using trail cameras to document and protect the critically endangered Florida panther.

06/08/2026

Leon County friends:

Join us in urging Tallahassee Commissioners to postpone the August 26 Public Hearing on the proposed North Meridian Canopy Road annexation to allow time for thorough data and analysis prior to rendering a final decision on an issue that will shape the community for decades to come.

Click to learn more and contact Commissioners:

1000 Friends of Florida has learned that on June 10 , the Tallahassee City Commission intends to begin the process of annexing 1,741 acres of rural northern Leon County land along the Historic North Meridian Road near Lake Jackson into the city. This annexation would open the property to major devel...

06/06/2026

"If Florida keeps growing ― and it will — we can choose: the same mass-built subdivisions, with their standard quarter- or third-acre lots, from Interstate 95 west, or find carefully selected areas to the east to increase the number of units per acre."

Walk around Vero Beach, Treasure Coast planner talk lead to recommendations to help Indian River, St Lucie and Martin counties grow more gracefully.

06/01/2026

"Voters in 2014 approved a constitutional amendment directing that at least one-third of taxes on the sale of land go to land and water conservation. But state lawmakers have consistently ignored that directive."

No new money will flow into the state's premier land conservation program this upcoming fiscal year — three years after lawmakers committed to spending a minimum of $100 million a year. They're set to vote on the budget today.