Masters Theses

Date of Award

8-1987

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Planning

Major Professor

George E. Rowan

Abstract

In 1963 Sanibel Island, Florida, a barrier island on Florida's Gulf Coast, was connected to the mainland by a causeway. This allowed more people than ever before to visit and settle on the island. This sudden influx of humanity was having adverse impacts on the natural environment of Sanibel. In 1974 when Lee County released a plan which would have allowed a population of up to 90,000, the residents decided to take their fate into their own hands by becoming an incorporated city. On 5 November 1974, they voted to do just that. Throughout much of 1975 and part of 1976 the newly created Sanibel Planning Commission worked on the first Comprehensive Plan for the city. They were assisted in their efforts by the consulting firm of Wallace, McHarg, Roberts, and Todd, The Conservation Foundation, and numerous local groups and individuals. The end product was the 1976 Comprehensive Land Use Plan for Sanibel Island. It was designed to accommodate growth in a manner that would have the least possible detrimental effects on the island's natural systems. It was the intent of this thesis to examine more closely the planning process used in Sanibel and discover what effects the plan has had on the people and resources of the island.

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