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Legal Advocacy

1000 Friends was formed to be a citizen voice in growth management, to represent people before local and state boards, agencies, and courts and, more importantly, to help them defend themselves. One of our earliest victories upheld the right of citizens to intervene in their community's planning processes. From that time on, 1000 Friends has been known as a savvy negotiator and a tenacious litigator. Whether in administrative hearings or in the courts, our mandate is to help enforce the state's growth management laws, and protect the right of citizens to ensure their impartial enforcement. Our litigation program carefully selects cases to establish legal precedents that are vital to maintaining the integrity of growth management.

To find out more:

Florida's Planning Process

1000 Friends of Florida
P.O. Box 5948
Tallahassee, FL 32314-5948
Phone: 850.222.6277
Fax: 850.222.1117

For more information, please read the following:

County can stop growth, expert says St. Augustine Record Article, September 3, 2006

1000 Friends' Process for Deciding to Intervene in Legal Cases -- This article provides a brief overview of the questions 1000 Friends considers when it is being asked to intervene in a legal case.

Important Legal Decisions -- This includes a synopsis of recent Florida legal cases that impact growth management, as well as information on 1000 Friends' role in some of the most important growth management cases of the last 15 years.

How Citizens Can Achieve "Standing" to Litigate -- 1000 Friends believes litigation is only an alternative of last resort. If a citizen is to be able to litigate, however, they must be able to demonstrate that they voiced their concerns during the planning process. This article explains what a citizen must do to establish their right to litigate.

Community Stewardship I: A Citizen's Guide to Participating in Florida's Growth Management Process -- This reader-friendly handbook opens with an overview of Florida's growth management process, and then focuses on how citizens can become effective advocates for better planning in their communities. 2004.

Community Stewardship II: A Citizen's Guide to the Nuts and Bolts of Florida's Growth Management Process -- This companion handbook offers an in-depth description of Florida's growth management process, with more detailed information on local comprehensive plans, land development regulations, and development orders. 2004.

Florida's Planning Process -- One of our goals is to empower "citizen planners" across the state to play a more active role in shaping the future of their communities. This page includes links to a series of articles explaining how citizens can be active proponents for "smarter growth," as well as links to key Florida legislation related to growth management.

Revising Florida's Growth Management Process -- Florida's growth management process, in place since 1985, is due for an overhaul. This section overviews recent efforts--both positive and negative--to change this system.