And that is happening. She says many developers are transforming dead shopping malls and office parks in the suburbs into more pedestrian-friendly town centers.
It’s a back-to-the-future approach to development, which Syd Kitson has embraced. The old Babcock Ranch property was 90,000 acres. But his development will sit on only a fifth of it.
He sold the rest back to the state to be set aside.
And in some cases, he brought the land back to its natural state. This wetland had been drained for agriculture.
You look out here and you look at this beautiful wetland now, knowing that, just literally a couple of years ago, it was dry, arid and not good for anything. Now you — it’s flourishing.
A developer who has created some swampland in Florida. Go figure.
The land here is 30 feet above sea level. In the state with the most to lose as the climate changes, Babcock Ranch is sitting pretty indeed.
For the “PBS NewsHour,” I’m Miles O’Brien in Babcock Ranch, Florida.