It has been fifteen years since the Florida legislature ushered in a new growth management era by enacting major amendments
to Florida’s Local Government Comprehensive Planning Act (Planning Act). The 1985 Planning Act amendments restructured and revised the methods whereby local governments manage the unremitting growth pressures created by an expanding population. They also updated the requirements for the content of local government comprehensive plans. The state land planning agency, the Florida Department of Community Affairs (FLDCA), was directed to flesh out the content requirements through an administrative rule that the legislature subsequently reviewed. For the first time, local governments were required to implement their plans through land development regulations. The experience gained from the application of this new law has led the Author to conclude that major changes, outlined in later sections of this Essay, are necessary for the full potential of comprehensive planning to be achieved.