The Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council (TBRPC) recognized 13 notable initiatives and one individual at its 30th annual Future of the Region Awards, held as part of its fourth Regional Resiliency Summit at the Hilton Clearwater Beach.
“The significance of innovative planning for our communities has never been more important than it is today,” said Wren Krahl, TBRPC executive director. “These awards honor achievements for community service, resiliency planning, environmental endeavors, economic development and transportation that truly impact the future of our region.”
The top honor, the One Bay McIntosh, recognizes the organization that provides excellence across all categories and exhibits distinction in regional visioning. This year’s winner is Hillsborough County for developing two user-friendly tools that estimate greenhouse gas emissions and help build a sustainable and equitable transportation system.
The Herman W. Goldner Award, named for TBRPC’s founder, went to Manny Pumariega, who retired as TBRPC executive director in 2015. Pumariega helped unite the region’s leaders and guide growth as Tampa Bay’s population boomed from about 1.5 million to more than four million people.
Local organizations were recognized in various categories.
In the built environment category that recognizes best practices promoting compact development and redevelopment while preserving history, beautifying public spaces and contributing to a unique regional identity:
The Mermaid Tale Trail on Florida’s Adventure Coast, where 27 colorful, larger-than-life statues grace parks, businesses and historic city streets in Brooksville and Weeki Wachee
Coachman Park and Imagine Clearwater for a stunning outdoor destination that offers something for everyone
Dunedin City Hall that exemplifies sustainability and resilience with solar panels, sustainable building materials and electric vehicle charging stations.
In community preparedness and resiliency, which improves the region’s capacity to protect life and property:
Citrus County for its use of GIS survey apps to document damage caused by Hurricane Idalia
Pinellas County for its hurricane preparedness video produced with Dennis Phillips, chief meteorologist for ABC Action News, to underscore the challenge of forecasting storms and cover the catastrophic consequences of the 1921 hurricane.
For community service, which serves individual citizens while enriching all our lives:
Pasco County for RECreate Your Mind, which uses recreation to champion and empower people with mental health issues
Pinellas County for Mental Health for Heroes, which offers cost-free, anonymous, and specialized mental health services for first responders.
Winning programs in the natural resources and environmental category include:
Manatee County’s Duette Preserve for its long-term gopher tortoise recipient site, which is now home to more than 825 of the threatened reptiles.
Oldsmar’s Save OUR Bay initiative that created a partnership with citizens to improve Tampa Bay, including citizen-scientist classes, installing vertical oyster gardens and a citizen-driven tree inventory
Largo’s $58 million wastewater biological plant that reduces the amount of nitrogen discharged into Old Tampa Bay.
The winner in the economy and energy category was the Gulfport Rebound Program, created in the shadow of the Covid crisis to provide vouchers to local residents who could spend them at participating small businesses.
The winner of the transportation and mobility category is the Central Florida Transportation Systems Management and Operations Program, which brought together multiple organizations across a region that extends from Pasco to Sarasota counties to collaborate on transportation planning and management.