Future Population
Lee County has been one of the fastest growing places in the nation and, the current economy not withstanding, our growth will resume at some point. Current projections suggest that we will need to accommodate another half million people, or more, in the coming 20 years. This is one of the most compelling reasons to make this the place we want it to be rather than the place we are sorry it became.
For decades, Lee County's population had been getting younger. Suburban housing in Cape Coral and Lehigh Acres has been a perfect fit for young families, while mobile home and golf-course communities appealed to retirees. Lee County has an ample supply of these housing types but a serious shortage of neighborhoods for young adults and also for retirees, who according to market studies often prefer to live in denser communities with walkable destinations and amenities and access to transit. Now that Lee County's population is getter older again, today's laws and practices that provide obstacles to more diverse housing must be reformed.
Reconnecting Lee County has structured each target topic section using categories to help in your search. The materials below are intended as a resource to help you examine what the latest demographic trends will mean to you, your neighborhood, and to the business climate.
Please contact us to share your observations.
Noteworthy articles
The past century has given us the gift of longevity, often with the presence of managed disabilities or chronic conditions. Our communities must be modified to reflect this new reality. The Atlanta Regional Commission’s "Lifelong Communities" initiative has a goal of allowing people to remain in their homes and communities as long as they desire, something that cannot be done with innovations in health care alone –it requires rethinking the way we plan and regulate the built environment.
To read an overview about this initiative, click here.