The City of Tampa has been awarded a $75k grant from The Florida Resilient Coastlines Program (FRCP) to study the impacts of sea level rise on our community and to identify key recommendations for resilience planning. The $75k state-funded grant will provide analysis and recommendations of current land use, zoning, and building regulations to prepare for climate impacts.
The City of Tampa requested grant funding to support The Land Regulatory Response to Sea Level Rise research study, which will serve as a legal and regulatory road map to improve sustainability and resilience. The project will identify impacts of sea level rise scenarios on the built environment and it will assess the economic, social, and legal viability of various regulatory measures to protect property and investment while maintaining continued opportunities for economic development in affected areas.
The City of Tampa received the maximum grant amount of $75k from FRCP to fund this project.
“As our city continues to grow, we need to ensure we’re doing so responsibly and sustainably while planning for our resilient future,” says Mayor Jane Castor. “Due to our City’s location, Tampa is ground zero for sea level rise, which is why we need studies like this one that will help us better-understand how climate change is impacting our community today and what we can do to protect our City and our environment for generations to come.”
The City will partner with the Florida Center for Community Design and Research at USF, the Hillsborough County Planning Commission, and other agencies to complete the required analysis and recommend changes to the land development code and building regulations in order to mitigate the effects of future sea level rise.
For more information about sea level rise and the City of Tampa's green initiatives to support Sustainability and Resilience, visit tampagov.net/green-tampa.