06-09-2008, 11:25 PM
More people are leaving Broward County, but is that all bad?
By Robin Benedick | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
10:38 PM EDT, June 5, 2008
Lighter traffic. Shorter checkout lines. Fewer students in class and less strain on natural resources.
Is it such a bad thing that Broward County, for perhaps the first time, lost population between 2006 and 2007? According to census estimates released in March, Broward's population stands at 1.76 million — a drop of 13,154.
The reason for the decline: the high cost of living coupled with a gap in wages, and a national economic slump that is forcing people who would otherwise move here to stay put.
"I used to have to wait forever at some of these department stores and fast-food restaurants, but now I can just walk up and get what I want," said Carrie Mannix, of Pembroke Pines, who co-owns This and That Thrift Boutique in Davie.
Economists say growth is needed to sustain the construction, service and tourism industries that the county heavily depends on. But advocates of less growth argue state and local leaders need a break so they can concentrate on the bigger picture.
"You can't just keep growing and growing and growing, because at some point you're just going to run out of resources," said Ross Burnaman, a Tallahassee lawyer campaigning for a constitutional amendment to give voters final say over local growth plans.
Slow-growth advocates say more people would strain water supplies. New power plants would be necessary, and the county would have to find new places to put garbage because the dumps are running out of room. And they wonder how an even more crowded barrier island could be evacuated quickly if a hurricane approached.
"There are some great opportunities during a slowdown, especially for redevelopment," said Pembroke Pines City Commissioner Angelo Castillo, who also serves as chairman of the Broward County Planning Council. "Broward has a lot of strip malls, for example, that were built in the '60s, '70s and '80s that aren't working anymore. It might be time to tear them down and redevelop them into something needed."
After decades of its cities ranking among the fastest-growing in the nation, over the past two years Broward saw 55,808 more residents leave than move in from other states, according to the census. They've been replaced by foreign-born residents, but even that influx has slowed.
The drop in population can be seen in Broward's public schools, which have lost 14,000 students since the 2004-05 school year. Yet parents argue that with more than 258,000 students, the numbers are still too high.
More on this Story
By Robin Benedick | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
10:38 PM EDT, June 5, 2008
Lighter traffic. Shorter checkout lines. Fewer students in class and less strain on natural resources.
Is it such a bad thing that Broward County, for perhaps the first time, lost population between 2006 and 2007? According to census estimates released in March, Broward's population stands at 1.76 million — a drop of 13,154.
The reason for the decline: the high cost of living coupled with a gap in wages, and a national economic slump that is forcing people who would otherwise move here to stay put.
"I used to have to wait forever at some of these department stores and fast-food restaurants, but now I can just walk up and get what I want," said Carrie Mannix, of Pembroke Pines, who co-owns This and That Thrift Boutique in Davie.
Economists say growth is needed to sustain the construction, service and tourism industries that the county heavily depends on. But advocates of less growth argue state and local leaders need a break so they can concentrate on the bigger picture.
"You can't just keep growing and growing and growing, because at some point you're just going to run out of resources," said Ross Burnaman, a Tallahassee lawyer campaigning for a constitutional amendment to give voters final say over local growth plans.
Slow-growth advocates say more people would strain water supplies. New power plants would be necessary, and the county would have to find new places to put garbage because the dumps are running out of room. And they wonder how an even more crowded barrier island could be evacuated quickly if a hurricane approached.
"There are some great opportunities during a slowdown, especially for redevelopment," said Pembroke Pines City Commissioner Angelo Castillo, who also serves as chairman of the Broward County Planning Council. "Broward has a lot of strip malls, for example, that were built in the '60s, '70s and '80s that aren't working anymore. It might be time to tear them down and redevelop them into something needed."
After decades of its cities ranking among the fastest-growing in the nation, over the past two years Broward saw 55,808 more residents leave than move in from other states, according to the census. They've been replaced by foreign-born residents, but even that influx has slowed.
The drop in population can be seen in Broward's public schools, which have lost 14,000 students since the 2004-05 school year. Yet parents argue that with more than 258,000 students, the numbers are still too high.