Florida State University students and faculty from the Department of Urban and Regional Planning’s (DURP) The Mark & Marianne Barnebey Planning & Development Lab won a 2025 Florida Planning and Zoning Association (FPZA) award in the Education category: Plans or efforts that effectively promote planning and zoning best practices.
The project, titled “Developing guidance on context types and planning solutions for the Hillsborough County future land use plan update,” examines future land use challenges through the lens of context-sensitive planning solutions.
“The Barnebey Lab worked alongside Plan Hillsborough to deliver innovative, context-specific recommendations for updating Hillsborough County’s Future Land Use Map,” said Dennis Smith, AICP, Planner-in-Residence & Director of the Barnebey Lab. “Through research, engagement with planning practitioners, and scenario planning across four key urban areas, the Lab helped advance a more connected, inclusive, and sustainable vision for the County’s future growth.”
The Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission is an independent agency that provides planning recommendations for land use, transportation, and the environment. It serves Hillsborough County and the cities of Tampa, Temple Terrace, and Plant City.
The commission is currently updating the comprehensive plan for unincorporated Hillsborough County. This includes reviewing and possibly revising the Future Land Use Element and Map to better meet the needs of residents.
As part of this update, the commission partnered with FSU’s Barnebey Lab. Together, they identified innovative planning practices that could help guide the update process. These practices were drawn from academic and professional research, an analysis of the current plan, and interviews with planning experts. While the document focuses on supporting the commission’s planners, the examples and case studies may also be useful to planners across Florida.
“We are so proud of the Studio Team’s work on this project,” said Senior Planner Billie Ventimiglia. “Land use planning is such an important part of a planner’s education and the best practices guide the students created is an excellent reference document for students and planners across the state.”
The following DURP students from the Barnebey Lab contributed to the award-winning project:
- Abraham Mitchel
- Amir Warren
- Caroline Smith
- Jared Bethke
- Mia Sadler
- Ransom Starkey
- Sahari Walker
- Weining Kan
Their work was instrumental in conducting research, engaging with stakeholders, and preparing the final best practices guide.
The Mark & Marianne Barnebey Planning & Development Lab, part of DURP, connects with public and private partners to support sustainable growth in Florida. The lab offers technical assistance and conducts research and studio projects to help regional communities plan for long-term success.
To learn more about FSU’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning, visit cosspp.fsu.edu/durp. To learn more about the Barnebey Lab, visit cosspp.fsu.edu/barn.