As the new Executive Director of the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council, Philip C. Laurien has jumped right in!  Laurien recognizes the importance of the Council’s partnership with myregion.org and other state and local agencies in guiding the Central Florida Regional Growth Visioning.

One of the most important components of the Visioning Process is the convening of the top leadership from each of the seven counties in Central Florida for the first-ever Regional Leadership Council meeting.  With six of the seven County Chairs in attendance at the recent meeting, it was a perfect setting for Mr. Laurien to hear, first hand, what was on the minds of the region’s key leaders.

Straight from his professional bio, “Laurien’s approach to regional planning is to build relationships with elected and appointed officials, the development community and citizens, help them develop a common vision for the community in a regional context, and then help implement that vision.”  This could not align any closer with the myregion.org philosophy.

With thirty two years of experience in planning, town management, and real estate development, he has authored numerous white papers, comprehensive plans and zoning codes in Ohio, Kentucky and New Hampshire.  He has been a guest lecturer at four universities and taught Ohio planning, zoning and subdivision law for the National Business Institute.

He previously served in a similar capacity for the Delaware County (Ohio) Regional Planning commission, managing orderly development for the 11^th fastest growing county in America.  His Conservation Subdivision Code has been accepted by homebuilders and communities as a smart growth alternative to rural sprawl. 

As Executive Director of the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council, his challenge is to acknowledge each community’s autonomy in land use decisions, while engaging local officials in a dialogue about the regional consequences of local growth. 

Again from Laurien’s bio, “A good comprehensive plan always answers the question of ‘how do we want our community to ultimately look?’”  That is exactly what myregion’s Central Florida Regional Growth Visioning Process is all about.  Over the next few months, myregion.org is taking this message to the people.  A series of “community Information sessions” and “Community Input Meetings” have been scheduled in each of the seven Central Florida counties.  These gatherings in local community centers, churches, schools, and government centers, will ask of our residents, “How Shall We Grow?”

Phil Laurien is already ahead of the curve on this important regional issue and his participation will surely enhance the discussion and decision-making about our collective future. “This is a very interesting and ambitious project,” said Laurien.  “I am glad to be a part of it.”

myregion.org - A Regional Development Program - is designed to bring together the business, government and civic leadership representing the seven-county Central Florida region to develop a regional agenda for thought and action to ensure Central Florida's success in the 21st century global marketplace.

For additional information, click on the following links:

www.orlando.org

www.ecfrpc.org

For a schedule of regional meetings on “How Shall We Grow?” visit:

http://www.myregion.org/get_involved.asp

For more in myregion.org: 

www.myregion.org