On March 3rd, Nicole Johnson, Director of Environmental Policy, participated in the Associate Leadership Collier Environment and Growth Management Day, which was held at the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center. Nicole joined Jamie Cook, Director of Development Review for Collier County Growth Management, and Nick Kouloheras, Senior Land Development Manager for Barron Collier Companies, to discuss “Smart Growth in Collier County.”
The panelists shared their perspectives on how they define smart growth and how our patterns of land development impact our environment, economy and quality of life in Collier County. Nicole shared some of the development pressures that are threatening the ability for our community to grow in a smart and environmentally compatible manner, including the continued conversation of agricultural lands to development and the targeting of urban conservation easement-protected preserves for intensification.
You can learn more about the Conservancy’s principles of smart growth here: conservancy.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Handout-Smart-Growth-Elements-Revised.pdf.
