The cost and quality of life for every Florida household is directly dependent on local social and economic conditions. Promoting relationships and policies among business, government and citizens to improve Florida’s fiscal stability and making the state a better place to live and work.
Learn more about two of the many economic and community development initiatives where the Collins Center is contributing resources to improve the communities and the lives of the people who live there:
The Lake Okeechobee Regional Initiative aims at reimagining the economic and social health of the communities along the southern rim of Lake Okeechobee. Its focus is on strong regional leadership; clear regional priorities; and effective regional communication. Visit the LORI homepage.
NEW! View a blog on the opening of the"Roots in the City" Farmers Markethere! _________________________________ The Overtown Community in Miami, FL
Garden brings jobs, food to Overtown
Source: Miami Herald — C. W. Griffin
Marvin Dunn, a local historian and former Florida International University professor, launched the project in August after two years of planning, with hopes of putting vacant land to good use by creating jobs and a self-sustaining business.
The garden, at the intersection of Northwest Third Avenue and 10th Street, takes up an entire city block, with dozens of rows of collard greens, lettuce, pumpkin, tomato, papaya, orange and banana trees, and decorative flowers such as violets. 'IT'S ABOUT JOBS' The garden is tilled and tended by six full-time and four part-time workers, plus about 80 volunteers from the neighborhood and beyond. Parcels on the two-acre site belong to the city of Miami, the Collins Center for Public Policy and a nearby Masonic lodge.
Read more about the community gardens of Overtown..
Tending 'Roots in the City' garden
MIAMI - OCTOBER 21: Magi Pons irrigates plants in the Roots in the City urban garden in the Overtown neighborhood on October 21, 2009 in Miami, Florida. The two-acre lot, that was once a blighted area, features collard greens, citrus trees, papayas, and an assortment of vegetables. The harvest supplies locals with greens that are offered free to the community along with plans to make money selling the produce in markets and local stores.
To view 11 more photos of Overtown's community gardens, please visit inform.com.
A major land purchase by the South Florida Water Management District in Florida's Lake Okeechobee Region will have an important impact on the region's people, towns, jobs, and future economies.
Read or download the Lake Okeechobee Regional Initiative (LORI) brochure
Coalition for Smart Justice
A State-wide conversation to explore better ways to achieve a safer, more just, and more effective criminal justice system.
An Open Letter to the Governor, Legislature and to the People of Florida
Sustainable Florida - Collins Center
Sustainable Florida - Collins Center is the premier statewide organization committed to the balance of economic interests with the need to be socially and environmentally responsible.
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