Broward Next steering committee advances land‑use plan updates focused on resiliency, housing and parks

The Broward Next steering committee on April 17 reviewed a package of proposed updates to the Broward County Land Use Plan that staff say will steer future development toward resilient, transit‑served corridors while adding tools to encourage affordable housing and protect parks and conservation lands.

Committee members heard staff present a reorganized “framework” document with tracked edits, then discussed three priorities: (1) new resiliency measures tied to two mapping tools (a social‑resilience map and a future‑conditions water‑storage map), (2) revisions to affordable‑housing incentives including a proposed bonus density with on‑site affordability requirements and (3) updates to how the plan treats parks, conservation and community lands.

The committee’s discussion centered on balancing stronger county direction with local flexibility. Planning staff described the water‑storage map as a mechanism to identify areas where a redevelopment applicant would need to demonstrate how stormwater requirements and sea‑level‑rise adjustments will be met. As staff told the committee, projects within mapped priority areas would be expected to avoid increasing flood or heat risk “under current and future conditions,” but developers could propose…