By Dr. Alfredo Anthony
Sustainability has developed into a significant concern for businesses in today’s global competitive environment. Organizations endeavor to include sustainability into their business strategies by espousing and implementing actions that properly align with the objectives of businesses and stakeholders while protecting and improving the human, social and natural resources that future generations will need. Along with businesses, emerging cities (e.g., up until 2010, St. Pete was called “God’s Waiting Room”) also need to include sustainability into their growth strategies because as concrete structures replace green spaces, environmental conditions will be altered resulting in increased heat indices. Such is the case with Florida. Back in 2016, I shared this concern with the Managing Director-Development Coordinator of the City of St. Petersburg. An article published in the Miami Times noted that the state of Florida leads the nation in dangerous risk of heat and humidity. Of the 25 Florida cities identified, the Tampa/St. Petersburg area was ranked number eight, with a heat index date of more than 104 days (Staletovich, 2016). The increased heat and humidity index prompted me to ponder about a potential solution that St. Petersburg can pursue to rectify the problem. One potential solution is to develop and implement a controlled growth strategy that focuses upon repurposing old or underutilized physical structures as opposed to reducing the number of green spaces. Following this strategy will promote Saint Petersburg as a city whose core growth strategy encompasses sustainability. I like to consider this innovative process as developing “intelligent cities.”
Although some politicians believe that too much regulation can stifle economic growth, I believe that reasonable governmental regulations can actually encourage innovation that will lead entities to incorporate sustainability into every aspect of their business operations. It is not an easy proposition; however, if properly planned and executed, sustainability will engender a positive return on investments.
References:
Staletovich, J. (2016). Florida tops nation with dangerous risk of heat and humidity, study finds. Retrieved from: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/article89216662.html