Discovering Development and Conservation Opportunities in North Central Florida

Abstract

Our studio was contracted by Weyerhaeuser, a real estate investment trust and one of the world’s largest private owners of timberlands, to develop alternative strategies for managing its 113,000-acre Lake Butler Forest properties in North Central Florida. Our strategies would function as a decision-making aid to guide the future development of the area, taking into account the pros and cons of our final strategies and the potential implications for adjoining landholdings and jurisdictions. In examining future development possibilities and evaluating potential alternative strategies, our team was asked to consider land use, economic development potential, urban design, transportation, and environmental factors to assess current conditions in the study area and identify relevant constraints and opportunities moving forward.