For Excellence in Environmental Process:
Charlotte County - Punta Gorda Metropolitan Planning Organization

Charlotte County - Punta Gorda Metropolitan Planning Organization

The Charlotte County-Punta Gorda Metropolitan Planning Organization used a variety of public participation techniques and a synthesis of state, local, and federal planning requirements to implement a long-range comprehensive transportation plan for the community. The partnership initiated by Charlotte County-Punta Gorda Metropolitan Planning Organization, the Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners, the State of Florida, and the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program provided an extensive public involvement process which considered not only transportation infrastructure but also other goals and objectives of the county to ensure that transportation and environmental goals were met. They used this integrated approach to provide a process in which technical transportation analysis affected decisions on land use, infill, and the environment. This innovative process helped change land use patterns in Charlotte County and allowed the Charlotte County-Punta Gorda Metropolitan Planning Organization to look for opportunities to link transportation, land use, and the environment in transportation and land use planning.